


Do You Love Me?

by KATastrofic222



Series: ???-verse [3]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Anxiety, Coma, Human!Kiibo, IT CONTINUES, Kiibo is head over heels in more ways than one, M/M, white day fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 23:04:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13937334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KATastrofic222/pseuds/KATastrofic222
Summary: "Does he love me? Does he hate me? I don't want to know the answer..."





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The Valentine's saga continues.
> 
> This work is also dedicated to [aueua](http://aueua.tumblr.com) since it's their birthday today! Happy birthday!

“You like him, don’t you?”

Kiibo dropped his pen.

“Pardon?”

“Oh my god...you never noticed, did you?” Miu palmed her face. She left her seat to pick up the dropped pen. “You should listen to yourself talk. Most of the time it’s about what you and Ouma did on your spare time, or something Ouma did for you. As your lab partner, I feel awfully neglected.”

“...I do?” Kiibo cradled his chin between his thumb and index finger, deep in thought. His brows furrowed in confusion. “Really?”

“Yeah. You do,” the blonde replied, handing him his pen. “A lot. I think it got worse after you recovered from your fever.”

“My fever...” the albino thought back to last month, when he got bedridden after one long night exposed to the cold. He didn’t realize how sick he was back then, since he only felt warmer than usual. The symptoms only started manifesting once he was close to reaching the school. Ouma was the only one who noticed that he was sick and helped him go home. Ouma even cooked rice gruel for him and kept him company while his dad was still at work. He didn’t exactly remember what happened afterwards, he was too feverish to process what was happening around him at that point.

 

_“Kii...Kiibo...”_

 

His eyes widened when he felt a jolt course through his entire being as soon as he remembered the memory. Even with his eyes tightly shut, he could tell that his cheeks were flushed red, judging from how hot his face felt. _“Is that what it was?”_ he thought to himself as he grasped his chest.

_Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump._

“I...” he started. “I like him…?”

Miu was about to say something but stopped, eyes wide once she understood what was going on. “Wait, you never noticed at all?”

Kiibo looked down, shaking his head slowly. “I...to Kokichi...”

_Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump! Ba-bump! Ba-bump!_

“So that’s what it was...” he whispered. “I...love him,” his eyes locked with Miu’s. “I love Kokichi...”

 

What he was feeling all this time…

It was love.

 

Before Miu could speak, the bell started ringing. Signaling the end of the school. ...They never got to finish their laboratory report for that day.

 

\----------------------------------------------------

 

_Ba-bump._

“You should get these, they’re on sale at the moment!” Ouma grinned at his friend as he handed him a carton of eggs. “There are more items on sale today. We should take advantage of this.”

_Ba-bump._

“...Kiibo?”

_Ba-bump._

Kiibo snapped out of his reverie. “Ah, sorry, I was lost in thought.” He moved to accept the offered carton of eggs and placed it in his cart. “...You were saying?”

His best friend’s forehead creased in worry, but he didn’t comment on his friend’s inattentiveness. “I was saying that there are plenty of other items on sale today. There are more in the next aisle.”

“Ahh...so that’s why there are more people today,” the albino hummed.

“Yeah. Sales are always a bloodbath. I’m not even exaggerating,” Ouma huffed. “Anyway, we better hurry. Mom needs some pork for dinner.”

“Alright.”

Kiibo idly trailed after his friend, pushing his cart with his mind elsewhere. Everything changed after that one conversation he had with Miu in the science laboratory earlier. He didn’t exactly know when this feeling started blooming in his chest, all he knows is that it’s been there for a long time. Now that he knows, he’s starting to notice more things. Like how his heart rate would pick up speed whenever his best friend would smile his way, and more so when he calls him by his given name. Or how his chest feels warm whenever they greet each other on their way to school and just talk about whatever that comes to their minds for that morning. When their hands lightly brush against each other as they walked home together side-by-side.

_Ba-bump. Ba-bump..._

Kiibo smiled as he felt the familiar and comfortably warm sensation spread through his chest once again. Now that he has a name for his feelings, he can finally embrace it wholeheartedly. His eyes were trained on his friend’s small back, his head would look from left to right as he searched for the items listed in his shopping list.

Kiibo quickened his pace in order to catch up to the shorter male and help him reach for the item in the top shelf. Ouma smiled at him in gratitude before going back to his shopping, giving him shopping advice to pass the time. The way the shorter teen would make dynamic gestures as he explained brought a smile to his face.

He should wait for the perfect time to confess his feelings; until then, he’ll just have to collect these special feelings in his chest and let them grow fonder as each day passes.

 


	2. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I'm scared._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! This was a lot longer than I expected. Phew. Happy White Day, everyone! //It's already March 14 for me.

_ “I’m sorry. I can’t return your feelings, Iidabashi. I’m still fine with being friends with you, but if you’re going to keep being stubborn about this...it’s probably best if we went our own separate ways.” _

 

Kiibo woke up with a jolt, his heart was beating rapidly, and not in the best way. He rolled to his side, desperately gasping for air as he moved to switch his bedside lamp on. His panicked eyes zeroed in on the faint digital numbers of his alarm clock: March 6th, 4:15 am. It was way earlier than the time he usually sets for himself. He closed his eyes shut, willing himself to breathe properly.

_ One...Two...Breathe. One...Two...Breathe… One...Two…Brea-- _

 

_ “I can’t return your feelings, Iidabashi.” _

 

He was reduced to a rather violent coughing fit as soon as he remembered his nightmare. He felt sick. He can’t think. He can’t breathe. He desperately pushed himself out of bed and rushed to his bathroom, dry heaving as soon as he reached his sink. Stray tears rolled down his cheeks from the exertion. Once his body was finally convinced that there was absolutely nothing to throw up, he stopped heaving and took this opportunity to wash his face and look himself in the mirror.

Needless to say, he looked horrible. His bed hair was twice as horrendous, his eyes looked incredibly tired, and somehow he managed to look paler than his usual complexion. If he were to borrow Kaito’s vocabulary--he looked like shit.

“I can’t do it,” his grip on the sink tightened. The image of his friend looking at him in disdain from his dream flashed in his mind. He slowly sank to his knees, his hands still grasping on the sink, silent tears streaming down his cheeks. “I can’t do it...I can’t handle it...”

 

_ I’m scared. _

 

\-----------------------February 15-------------------------

 

“G-good morning, Kiibo...”

Kiibo flinched before turning to look at his friend, offering his friend a small smile. “...Good morning, Kokichi.”

Silence.

“...Shall we go?” Kiibo suggested. “We’ll be late if we stay here.”

“O-oh! You’re right. We should go,” they started walking as soon as the shorter teen caught up to him completely. Their walk to school was silent. Too silent.

Although Kiibo kept his eyes on the path before him, but he could sense how tense his companion was.  _ ‘The atmosphere is so...stiff. It’s too quiet...This has never happened before...’  _ He closed his eyes.  _ ‘...I ruined everything, didn’t I?’ _

“...It was good.”

The albino’s eyes snapped open, “Pardon?”

Ouma looked away, scratching his cheek. “The chocolate. It was very good. I had to share it with mom, though, since it was too difficult to eat on my own. I-is that okay?”

Kiibo blinked, “Of course. I’m glad that you liked it. Sorry for the inconvenience, I got carried away...”

“That’s okay,” Ouma smiled. “I kind of felt bad eating it. It looked like it took a lot of work to sculpting the chocolate to make it look like a Panta bottle. And the attention to detail is amazing...”

“You don’t have to,” Kiibo smiled a little more genuinely. “It was meant to be eaten. Just hearing that you ate it at all is enough for me.”

Ouma’s eyes widened before he looked away. “I-I see...”

Realizing what he had just said, Kiibo looked away, mentally berating himself for his comment.  _ ‘He’s trying to make a normal conversation, and here you are, making things difficult for him. Stop.’ _

“...Were you able to distribute all of your  _ giri _ chocolate?” Ouma murmured the question, eyes now trained on the ground.

“H-huh? No...I still have plenty at home...” Kiibo replied. “I was thinking of dropping them off to the orphanage nearby after class...”

“Oh! Can I come with you? I did say I’ll help you,” the smile returned to the shorter male’s face. “But if you don’t want me to...I guess it’s fine.”

“N-no, I’d appreciate it!” Kiibo raised both hands in a placating manner. “I...I think I have enough for three boxes...”

Ouma stared at him blankly. “...You...you were serious about being carried away.”

Embarrassed, Kiibo looked away, “...I know.”

The walk to their class was a little more bearable, but the unsettling feeling in his gut was still there. They both went to their respective seats to set their things on the desk. Kiibo looked up when he felt someone pat his back. He was faced by the gentle expression of the object of both his fear and affection. “Kokichi?”

“I just wanted to ask if we could eat lunch at the rooftop today,” he said. “Mom made something special for lunch this morning and told me to share it with you. I didn’t want to risk having Momota-kun take some of my lunch without asking for permission again, so...”

“I'd love that,” the albino smiled.

Ouma returned the smile, “See you at the rooftop.”

Class started just as usual, but Kiibo’s attention was elsewhere. The promise of meeting together at the rooftop gave him butterflies in his stomach, but at the same time filled him with dread. And as much as it pains him, the smile his friend flashed him during lunch time still made his heart skip a beat. White Day was too far away...he’ll just have to keep enduring it until then.

He was so hopelessly in love, and he doesn’t know what to do.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------

 

“...Harukawa-san?” Ouma looked at the albino, a silent request to give him an explanation. “You’re coming with us?”

“...Yes,” Maki replied, playing with a pigtail. “...I was going to visit the orphanage to watch over the children there. Iidabashi-san said he was going there as well and offered to accompany me. He told me you were coming as well.”

“Ohh,” Ouma bit his lip. “Does she…?”

Maki huffed. “Yes, I’m aware of your plans. I’m going to help you distribute the chocolates to the children. Some of them don’t really like interacting with strangers. Distributing would be easier if I’m helping you.”

“I appreciate your help, Harukawa-san,” Kiibo smiled. “My house isn’t too far, so picking up the chocolates won’t take too long.”

“Alright. We better go while the sun is still out,” she said.

The trip to Kiibo’s home was awkwardly silent, what with the presence of a classmate Ouma wasn’t used to speaking with. He felt a little bad that she had to help them carry a box, but she said she didn’t mind. His opinion of her changed when he saw how well she treated the orphans when she began distributing the chocolate. The smiles on the children’s faces were heartwarming, to say the least; Ouma was sure Kiibo thought the same.

“Thank you for helping me, Kokichi, Harukawa-san,” Kiibo bowed slightly, a small smile on his face.

“...The kids all loved the chocolates,” the dark brunette responded. “They wanted me to thank you for them, it made them really happy. So thank you, Iidabashi-san,” she smiled. “You too, Ouma-san.”

“A-ah, I didn’t really do anything special,” the mauve-haired teen waved his hands. “...I only got dragged into playing games with the kids.”

“They had fun playing with you--for someone so gloomy, you’re not so terrible with kids.” She huffed a laugh. “Anyway, I should be getting home now. See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow,” Kiibo and Ouma greeted in unison, making them look at each other in astonishment.

Maki laughed gently, “You two really get along. How envious.” She didn’t bother elaborating her statement and simply left her two classmates to their own devices, her low pigtails swaying with her every movement.

Silence.

“...Do you want me to accompany you to the station? It’s nearby,” Kiibo offered.

Ouma looked away, “N-no, I’ll be fine. Thanks for the offer, Kiibo.”

Kiibo pursed his lips, “...Okay. You take care on your way home, Kokichi.”

The mauve-haired teen simply nodded, turning his back towards his friend. “You too.”

The albino clenched his fists as he watched his friend walk away.  _ ‘I need to control myself better. I don’t want him to be uncomfortable around me anymore.’ _

 

\---------------------------------------------------------

 

“Welcome home, Kiibo,” he heard his father greet him from the kitchen.

“...I’m home,” Kiibo uttered as he placed his shoes by the  _ genkan _ . “I didn’t expect you to be home early today.”

“I didn’t either,” the elder Iidabashi chuckled. “Mind setting the table? Dinner’s ready.”

“Okay. Let me set my things down first,” the teen responded.

“Alrighty!”

Dinner was eaten in comfortable silence. Kiibo honestly felt a little relieved that his father was home, and it’s been a while since he’s eaten something the latter made, so he was a little happy. But no matter how relieved he was, he knows that his father is going to ask him the dreaded question sooner or later.

“So, how was your day?”

There it is.

The younger of the two set his chopsticks on top of his bowl with a resigned sigh, “...I made him uncomfortable.”

Professor Iidabashi raised a brow, “Uncomfortable?”

He nodded. “He...we didn’t talk as much today. And whenever it’s just the two of us he gets really tense whenever I say something out of line...”

“Really, now?” the elder Iidabashi pursed his lips.  _ ‘I’m pretty sure Ouma-kun likes you back...No, I shouldn’t interfere. Falling in love is part of growing up.’ _

“I’ll be fine, dad,” Kiibo said, pushing his seat back. “I’ll make sure to be more careful of my words and actions until it’s White Day.”

“Kiibo--”

“--I’ll handle the dishes. You should go rest up early,” the younger Iidabashi said as he headed for the sink.

Sensing that his son was awfully reluctant to discuss the matter, the professor decided to drop the topic. His forehead creased with worry.  _ ‘I just hope he realizes that his feelings have already been returned.’ _

Kiibo’s demeanor the next day was better than the day before. And when asked about his day, he seemed happier, considering the fact that he was able to hold a proper conversation with the person he liked. The professor decided to trust his son’s decision and judgment, so he decided to turn the other cheek, albeit reluctantly. If something goes wrong, he'll do his best to guide his child to the best path.

 

\----------------------------------------------------

 

“You’re not eating?” Ouma tilted his head.

“Ah, I'm still a little full from breakfast,” Kiibo replied. “So I didn’t pack lunch for today.”

“Is that so?” the mauve-haired teen pressed his chopsticks against his lips. “I still think you should eat a little. Here.” He picked up an egg roll, placing it against the albino’s lips.

“Kokichi--”

“At least one?” Ouma plead.

It’s unfair how he can’t go against his friend’s pleading face. “O...okay.” He opened his mouth hesitantly, letting the other teen feed him. He chewed on the roll carefully, letting the savoury flavor rest on his tongue.

“How does it taste?”

“It’s good,” Kiibo replied.

“That’s a relief!” Ouma sighed. “I wanted to try preparing my own  _ bento _ so mom wouldn’t have to wake up early every single time. She taught me how to cook something simple like this.”

Azure orbs widened at the revelation. “You...made this?”

Ouma smiled. “Yeah. It turned out a little better than I expected.”

Kiibo felt like throwing up, but he can’t. Kokichi will notice that he’s been acting strange lately. He clenched a fist slowly, mentally counting from 1 to 10 to will his stomach to calm down. Once he was stable enough, he replied with a stiff smile. “It did.”

The mauve-haired teen rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, “Thanks...”

“You should finish your lunch, our break is ending soon.”

“Ahh you’re right!” Ouma lifted his  _ bento _ box and shoveled the rest of his lunch in his mouth. The school bell rang a few minutes after, allowing Kiibo to leave the shorter male’s side. He felt sick the entire afternoon.

“You're going ahead?” Kiibo almost felt bad lying to his friend. But his fight or flight response was far too strong for him to resist. He needs to go home as soon as possible, so he can expel the contents of his stomach within the privacy of his bathroom.

“Yeah. I'm sorry about this Kokichi. Dad wanted to eat  _ sukiyaki _ for dinner, so I need to begin the preparation early so he wouldn't be kept waiting too long,” Kiibo lied, making him feel worse.

“Ahhh, that's understandable...I'll see you tomorrow then?” Ouma tilted his head, a pleasant smile on his face, which the albino struggled to return.

“See you tomorrow, Kokichi,” he waved before heading towards the direction of his home. Once he turned the first corner, he gradually increased his pace--walking faster and faster until he broke out into a full dash. He hurriedly unlocked his home, kicking his shoes off haphazardly and ran upstairs. He swung his bathroom door open and flipped the toilet lid and wretched, sinking to his knees once he was finished emptying his stomach. Finally regaining some of his strength, he pushed himself off the floor and flushed the toilet, washing his hands and his face to hide the evidence of his sick.

It was now March 1, he only needed to endure this for two weeks. Two more weeks until Ouma would give him his answer.

With new found strength, he took a quick bath and started working on the  _ sukiyaki _ fit for one person. He didn't exactly have the appetite after the horrendous experience earlier. But on a positive note, at least he wasn’t a complete liar considering he really did end up cooking  _ sukiyaki _ for dinner. When his father asked him if he already ate, he lied about eating dinner ahead and resigned himself to his room.

He was plagued with nightmares that night, and the nights following after.

 

\-------------------March 6---------------------

 

“Are you...okay?” Ouma’s forehead creased with worry, noting the taller male’s paler complexion.

“I'll...be fine,” Kiibo uttered. “I just wasn't able to get enough sleep earlier.”

“Maybe you should go rest in the infirmary,” said the shorter teen. “I can accompany you there too--”

Kiibo rested a hand on his shoulder, a tired smile on his face. “Kokichi, I’ll be okay. But if it gets worse, I’ll excuse myself from class. Is that okay?”

Purple eyes flitted upwards to meet dull blue orbs, searching for an answer. But finding none, Ouma reluctantly conceded. “Okay.”

Everything seemed like it went back to normal. They were in the middle of laboratory work when he noticed Kiibo and Miu leave the Science Lab to pick up some printouts from the teacher’s lounge. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but when his eyes landed on Kiibo, he noticed how the latter looked like he could pass out at any moment. He waited for a few minutes before excusing himself to the bathroom--which was a lie of course.

He stalked after his two classmates, making sure that his footsteps remained unheard. He strained his ears for any sign of the two, pausing in his tracks upon hearing Miu’s voice.

“You don’t look too good. Maybe you should rest in the infirmary, you can leave the printouts to me,” she said.

“No, I should help you. Carrying the printouts on your own will be difficult,” murmured his friend. “I’m alright, really. Just a little sleepy, but I’ll be fine.”

“As much as I admire your considerate nature, you definitely look like shit.”

“...”

“Iidabashi?”

“...Not...good.”

“I-Iidabashi? Are you sure you’re alright? H-hey!”

Ouma’s ears perked up at the sound of Miu’s distressed shouts, he picked up his pace and rounded the corner--his face almost colliding with the wall from the momentum. He heard a painful sounding thud coming from below and Miu shouting his friend’s name, urging him to take a look. His blood went cold from what he saw.

Kiibo was unconscious at the foot of the staircase, blood oozing from his head. Miu was on her knees, unwilling to move him around carelessly due to the risk of potentially harming her companion even more.

“Someone! Anyone! Damn it!” Miu cursed, tears rolled down her cheeks in a mix of frustration and panic. “Why did I have to forget my phone now of all times!” she slammed her fists on the ground. “SOMEONE PLEASE CALL THE AMBULANCE!!!”

There were students who checked the hallways out of curiosity, but were caught off guard by the bloody scene to act. Miu’s scream managed to snap the mauve-haired teen out of his stupor, however. Clumsily, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, flipping it open and quickly dialed 119. “I got it!” He yelled as he sped down the stairs. The look of relief in the blonde’s eyes when he appeared was not mutual. All he could think of was his friend.

“Thank god you’re here!” Miu sobbed, hiding her face in her bloodied hands. “Iidabashi, he--he collapsed while we were walking down the stairs.”

Ouma had a hard time breathing as his eyes were trained on his friend’s unconscious form as he waited for the call to pick up.  _ ‘Pick up. Pick up. Pick up!!!’ _

_ “Hello, what is the emergen--” _

“MY FRIEND COLLAPSED AND FELL DOWN THE STAIRS!” Ouma shouted. “...H-his head is bleeding badly, please help!” He sobbed.

_ “...Please stay calm and tell me your location. We’ll send an ambulance there shortly.” _

Ouma sucked in a breath before answering the operator’s questions as calmly as he could. By that time, teachers and students started surrounding them due to all their shouting. Fortunately, the school nurse was able to help them deal with Kiibo’s bleeding head and made sure that he wasn’t moved around too much. He was starting to get impatient, eyes moving back and forth from his friend, then to the bloodied girl beside him. Upon hearing the sirens of the ambulance, he felt hope blossom in his chest. “I’ll go lead them the way. Please watch over Kiibo.”

Miu’s head perked up at his words, she chewed on her lips. “Okay.”

_ ‘Kiibo will be okay. He won’t die. He’ll be okay,’ _ was a mantra he uttered to himself as he ran through the halls. He could feel his indoor shoes getting worn down from all the running he did today. His eyes widened when he caught sight of the paramedics talking to a teacher, probably asking for directions.

“Over here!” he shouted. The teacher’s eyes widened at the sight of his bloodied arms and face. Majority of the paramedics followed the teen, while one of them stayed behind to excuse themselves from the teacher.

“Were you the one who called for help?” one paramedic asked. “What’s the status of the patient?”

“...Yeah, that was me,” Ouma chewed on his lips, willing the tears to not fall. Especially not in front of adults. “The school nurse was able to stop his head from bleeding and even bandaged it. But he’s not responding at all...”

“We received a report that he collapsed,” another paramedic muttered, this time a woman. “Do you have an idea why he collapsed? Any information on his medical history would be helpful.”

Ouma shook his head. “I...Ah, we’re here!”

Everyone made way for the medical team as soon as they arrived. It was a little unnerving watching them conduct a simple check up the same way the school nurse did earlier while the others set up the stretcher on the cleaner portion of the floor. Once the check-up was done, they carefully strapped Kiibo on the stretcher with professional ease. The crowd dispersed as the paramedics lifted the stretcher.

Ouma didn’t realize that he had unconsciously followed the medical team to the ambulance until they started loading his friend in the vehicle. “W-wait! Please, let me come with you!”

“Kid, you did a good job calling us when the emergency happened. But we can’t allow just anyone to ride in the ambulance with the patient,” one of the men replied, who was about to close the door.

“Please!” Ouma bowed. “I can answer any questions about his health! Bringing me along will be beneficial to you! I promise I won’t get in the way of your work!”

The paramedic looked over his shoulder to discuss something with his colleague before opening the doors to the teen. Ouma hastily climbed in the vehicle, wincing when the doors were slammed shut behind him. One of the paramedics knocked on the divider, signalling the driver that they were free to leave the school campus.

Ouma twiddled his fingers as he scanned the interior of the ambulance, trying hard not to watch the paramedics hook his friend up to a machine to check his vitals. 

“Alright, talk. What’s the patient’s name, age, and if you have knowledge regarding his medical history, do inform us. If not, his daily routine will do,” the woman asked as soon as they were finished with the check-up.

“H-his name is Iidabashi Kiibo, 17,” he replied, snapping out of his stupor. “...He doesn’t have any food allergies or hereditary diseases. Um...I’m not sure if this one is helpful, but he did catch a cold last January and was bedridden for about 2 weeks.”

“That’s helpful. Anything else noteworthy?”

“Well...he always eats a balanced diet. He’s actually the one who keeps reminding me to eat more,” Ouma rubbed his nape nervously. “But...”

“But…?” the paramedic quirked a brow.

“...He hasn’t been eating his lunch lately. And judging from how he’s been the past few days...I don’t think he’s been eating properly at home either,” Ouma chewed on his lip.

The paramedics looked at each other.

“It’s most likely anemia,” another paramedic spoke, pulling out a pen from his pocket and started scribbling down notes. “We need to contact his parents so we can take some of his blood for testing with consent.”

“I can call his father now. He could also answer most of your questions that way,” Ouma offered.

“Alright.”

Professor Iidabashi went into a brief panic upon hearing that his son fell down the stairs, but calmed down once the lead paramedic took the phone from the teen to ask him questions. Ouma started tuning out the conversation by that time, his eyes strayed towards his unconscious friend’s form. Kiibo’s bandages were replaced with cleaner ones and he was given an oxygen mask to help him breathe better. He looked down at his knees, he could feel tears prick at his eyes.  _ ‘This is all my fault. I knew he wasn’t doing so well...and yet I didn’t do anything to prevent this from happening. I’m...I’m the absolute worst!’ _

He looked up when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, squeezing it a little. It was the woman again. “We’re almost at the hospital. We can’t take you to the emergency room, but we can at least give you an update of your friend’s status.”

“O-oh. That’s reasonable enough. Thanks...” the teen murmured.

“His father is going to arrive in the hospital in an hour or so. Until then, you’re the only one Iidabashi Kiibo-kun has at this moment. So look alive, will you?” she grinned as she handed him his phone back.

Ouma nodded. “Kiibo...will be okay, right?”

“We won’t make any promises. But if something bad happens, we’ll make sure to do whatever it takes to save his life,” another paramedic responded, who looked at the direction of the driver when the vehicle stopped. “It looks like we’re here. Just stay near the reception area and we’ll look for you once the check-up is finished.”

“Okay. Thank you,” the teen bowed his head before climbing out of the ambulance.

The hospital was just like how movies portrayed it to be. White walled and tiled, along with the overwhelming scent of antiseptic. People milled around the reception area, both patients and doctors alike. Seeing as there were seats available, he took a seat and checked his phone. He spotted a text message from Shirogane, their class representative. Curious, he tapped the message, reading:

 

_ “Ouma-kun, I was informed of what had happened to Iidabashi-kun earlier. Iruma-san told me that you left with the ambulance too. I just wanted to inform you that I already had Amami-kun drop off your bag to your home since your homes are not too far from each other. You’re probably at the hospital right now, so please send Kiibo my regards once he wakes up.” _

 

Ouma smacked himself on the face, “I...I can’t believe I forgot about my bag.” He sent a reply with a few quick taps, thanking the bespectacled girl. His phone vibrated not long after.

 

_ “You’re welcome! You and Iidabashi-kun got along so well, so I can only imagine how bad you must be feeling right now. Don’t worry Ouma-kun. Just believe that he’ll be okay.” _

 

“Believe...” Ouma tapped his next response.  _ “I will. Thank you for the encouraging words, Shirogane-san.” _

His phone vibrated again.

 

_ "Just doing my job, plain and simple!” _

 

He sent a quick text thanking Rantarou before going back to waiting, swinging his legs now and then to distract himself.

“Ouma-kun!”

His head perked up from the sound of a familiar voice, “I-Iidabashi-san!”

“W-where’s Kiibo? How is he?” the man held him by the shoulders.

“They took him to the ER a while ago. I was told to wait for the news here,” Ouma replied.

The bespectacled albino took in the teenager’s disheveled appearance and weary disposition, clenching his fists at the sight of his son’s blood staining the boy’s hands and probably his clothing as well. He took the vacant seat beside the teen and slumped against it. “...Were you the one who called for help?”

“...Yes.”

“Thank you,” The professor closed his eyes and nodded. “...Tell me...Has Kiibo been acting strangely at school? To be specific, does he eat properly during lunch breaks?”

Ouma shook his head. “He would only take a small snack with him instead of a  _ bento.  _ I offered to share him some of mine, but he always turned me down. He told me his snack was enough. _ ” _

“That boy…” that was the first time Ouma heard his friend’s father sound so exasperated with his son.

“Excuse me, is Mr. Iidabashi around?”

The albino snapped into a proper sitting position, eyes training on the source of the voice. “Yes. That would be me.”

The doctor’s eyes softened at the sight of the two weary individuals as he made his way towards them. “We have the results of your son’s tests.”

“...How is he?” the professor stood up from his seat.

“It appears he collapsed from anemia caused by a poor diet, which subsequently led to an iron deficiency. We conducted a complete blood count test and his red blood cell count was lower than normal. His red blood cells were smaller in size too,” the doctor explained. “And since he lost quite a lot of blood from the fall, we were planning to conduct a blood transfusion on him later to help him recover iron faster. But we’ll need your consent for that.”

“I see. If it would help my son, then by all means, do it,” the albino replied. “...Can I see him? Where’s my son?”

Dread filled Ouma’s gut as he noticed the way the doctor clenched his jaw, it was clear that he was reluctant to deliver the news, whatever it may be. “We brought him to the Intensive Care Unit.”

Professor Iidabashi’s eyes widened. “THE ICU?! What’s my son doing there?!”

“Mr. Iidabashi...” the doctor raised his hands in a placating manner. “I understand that you’re very worried for your son, but panicking won’t help.”

The professor blanched, raking a hand through his hair in frustration. Ashamed from losing his composure, especially in front of his son’s friend, who is obviously not taking the situation as well as he was. “...Right. You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“What’s...what’s Kiibo doing in the ICU?” Ouma asked.

The doctor spared him a glance before shifting his attention back to the bespectacled albino. “Mr. Iidabashi...I’m afraid your son has gone into a coma due to the shock caused by the impact of the fall.”

“A coma...a...coma...Kiibo is...” Iidabashi scrubbed his face with a hand, Ouma opted to look away, noting the tears that were now streaming down the professor’s cheeks.

“It may sound bad at this moment, but your son’s condition is stable,” the doctor added, regarding the mauve-haired teen with a smile. “I was informed that it was this young man who called the ambulance. If it weren’t for that call, your son would have been in a critical condition.”

The professor turned to look at the teen.

“...You can visit your son right now. However, only you are allowed to visit,” the doctor added. “I’m sorry about this, son.”

Ouma shook his head. “It’s fine...I understand why I’m not allowed to be there.”

The doctor nodded. “Very well then. Shall we go?”

Professor Iidabashi shook his head, “I need a moment to prepare myself. If that’s alright with you, doctor.”

“...That’s understandable. I’ll be waiting for you down the hall, once you’re ready.”

“Thanks.”

As soon as the doctor was out of earshot, the professor buried his face in his hands, choking back a sob. “I’m...I’m a terrible father!”

Alarmed, Ouma moved to rub the man’s back. “Professor...I’m partly at fault too. I saw that he wasn’t doing too well but I thought nothing of it. I failed him as his friend…!” he wiped his tears with his sleeves.

“I didn’t know how bad it was,” the man continued, tears rolled down his cheeks uncontrollably. The teen noticed the sympathetic looks the nurses stationed at the reception desk shot their way. “I noticed that he’d been skipping meals, that’s why I made sure he ate properly. And he did! It didn’t occur to me that he could have been throwing it up judging from how on edge he was for the past few weeks.”

“Weeks?!” Ouma’s eyes widened.

Iidabashi removed his glasses to wipe his eyes with a handkerchief. “Before I visit Kiibo...there’s something I have to tell you, Ouma-kun.”

 

I’m...really such a stupid person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some notes!
> 
> 1\. 119 is the emergency hotline used for the fire department and the ambulance in Japan!
> 
> Sorry if I got some medical procedures wrong ;w;). And I'm also sorry for the confusing time shenanigans. The most I can do for you all is leave time stamps. But if it's still confusing, you can ask me questions ;w;)
> 
> EDIT: I changed Kiibo's age from 16 to 17 since it was a miscalculation on my part. Kiibo and Ouma are sophomores at this point in time.


	3. Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Your voice is all I hear."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiii so sorry for the late update ;v;) Finals happened, and more stuff happened, and then I'm sick right now hahahaa..... Even though it's late, I hope you'll still find this chapter enjoyable to read! I'll keep this short and let you read the actual chapter now!

He felt like he was flying. No, not flying. He didn’t have wings, neither did he have some sort of sci-fi rocket boosters to propel himself through the air. To be more accurate, it was as if he was floating on water--except, there was no water. Is this what floating on clouds feel like, then?

_“Nishishi. So this is what you look like without all those bulky metal parts, Kiiboy...Not bad, not bad...”_

Kiibo turned around, only to find no one. His brows furrowed in concentration, trying to match the voice with a name. He recognized the voice, he’s sure of that, but at the same time he didn’t. How strange.

_“Oh? You can’t see me? What a shame...”_

For a brief moment, he caught a glimpse of a fluttering pink coat, which disappeared just as soon as he saw it.

_“I guess it’s not too bad. This just means I can do whatever I want with you none the wiser. Nishishi~!”_

A gust of wind rushed past the albino, and for a brief moment, he felt something feather-light brush against his lips.

_“Nishishi!”_

“Who...are you?” Kiibo asked, scanning the area.

_“Oh, so you can talk! Maybe there’s hope for you yet, Kiibow and arrow.”_

A glimpse of pale skin.

 _“Hey, hey, mind keeping me company? Not like you have a choice, but I wasn’t raised a barbarian! In this house, we have manners,”_ the voice snickered. _“Well? I’m waiting, Kiiboat.”_

“Um...I guess I don’t mind?” Kiibo looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. He’s now positive that he doesn’t know this person--if he could call the disembodied voice _that_ , but it seemed like the person knew him well enough to address him on a first name basis. Although his name was unnecessary lengthened, he at least got ‘Kiibo’ right.

“Umm...May I ask why you keep adding things to my name?” the albino resigned himself to sitting on thin air, crossing his legs in an indian sitting position. “Also, if you don’t mind telling me your name, that would be much appreciated...”

 _“Huh? ‘Cause just Kiibo is boring. I gotta make calling your name entertaining for me_ _somehow._ _”_ Oddly enough, that statement somehow gave Kiibo the mental image of someone shrugging despite the voice’s disembodied state.

 _“Nishishi! And to answer your other question, I don’t have a name. Why, you may ask? It’s because I’m only a figment of your imagination! Duuuuh! That also answers why I know your name, fyi,”_ the voice snickered. _“You cre-a-ted-me~_ ♫ _”_ he sang.

“You’re...awfully self-aware for someone who claims to be a figment of my imagination,” the albino hummed. “...Do you know where this place is exactly?”

_“You tell me! But I must say, you're awfully uncreative. I mean look at this headspace! It's so dark and empty--I can't even see myself!”_

“Does this mean you have a body?” he held his breath, spotting something white fluttering in the air from the corner of his eye. What was that? It's happened far too many times for it to be a product of his imagination.

_“Maybe I do! Maybe I don't! It all depends on you, O dearest creator of mine.”_

Kiibo pursed his lips, settling back to a standing position. “I don't think this place is tied to my imagination. I don't believe that you're just a figment of my imagination either.”

_“Awww, why not?”_

A gasp.

_“You think I'm lying, aren't you!?”_

“No, it's not that. It's just...I've tried imagining a lot of things for the past few minutes, and nothing's appearing,” Kiibo closed his eyes, focusing on locating where the voice was coming from. “Going by your logic, something should manifest as soon as I imagine it. There being no manifestation whatsoever, your theory is debunked. That, and, I wasn't aware of this place until a few minutes ago, and yet it seems like you've been here for quite some time.”

_“...Okay, fine. I guess you got me. Geez, even as a human, you still talk like a boring and analytical robot.”_

“‘Still’?” the albino blinked in mild confusion, opening his eyes out of curiosity. “What are you talking about?”

_“Nothing too important. Don't mind me~”_

Noting the underlying message of, “ask me again and I’ll hurt you,” Kiibo opted not to confront the voice on the matter--even though he’s unsure how that would be possible, but the human mind functions in mysterious ways sometimes. Even though you’re aware of how impossible something is, you still can’t help but exercise caution regarding the unknown. “Okay.”

Silence settled between them--well, assuming his only conversation partner didn't disappear on him after that one last reply.

“Hello...?” he called.

No response.

“Are you still here?” He looked around nervously, hoping to find some kind of assurance that his companion was still with him. The silence was starting to get stifling. “I wanted to keep talking to you...”

Still no response.

“I...actually really like your company. It's better than being all alone in such a gloomy place,” Kiibo continued. His eyes widened when he felt a sudden weight on his shoulders, looking down, he saw a faint outline of an arm wrapped around his neck.

_“...Yeah. It is.”_

Taking a deep breath, he reached out for the hand, which materialized as soon as his hand made contact.

“Ah.” Kiibo gingerly turned his head to look over his shoulder. Shocked amethyst orbs met equally shocked ocean blue. “You’re...”

The mauve-haired teen immediately moved to pull away from the albino, wrapping the large pink coat around him protectively. “What’s the big idea?! How can you suddenly see me, damn it! This wasn’t supposed to happen…!” he stomped his foot and bit on his thumb in frustration.

“...Kokichi?”

The other teen snapped to attention, pointing an accusatory finger at the taller teen. “K-Koki--you have a lot of nerve--”

 

_“...........!”_

 

The teen, who may or may not be his best friend and object of affection, stopped talking midway to look up.

“Kokichi, what are--”

“Did you hear something? Just now,” Ouma regarded the albino with a side glance.

“Huh?” Kiibo’s brows furrowed in confusion. “No...I didn't hear anything...why?”

The mauve haired teen frowned, clicking his tongue in dissatisfaction. “...Not good.”

“‘Not good?’ What’s wrong?” the albino tilted his head in confusion.

‘Ouma’ grinned from ear-to-ear, his previous serious expression now a mere afterthought. “Oh well~ I guess it can't be helped. Good things aren't meant to last! Now that you can see me, I wont be able to fool around with you as much as I did earlier.” He huffed, giving a little kick to express his disappointment.

“I-is that so…”

“It is so!” Ouma wagged a finger. “Think of all the pranks I could have pulled while I was invisible! It's a waste, really.” He sauntered towards the albino, the coat draped over his shoulders fluttered with his every movement. “Anyways, you're going to be stuck with me for the time being, Kiibowl. Hope you can keep me entertained until then.”

“Well..I did agree to keep you company earlier,” Kiibo rubbed an arm. “...I don’t really know how to entertain you other than engaging in a conversation with you, though. But that’s what we’ve been doing for a while now, and you already seem bored.”

“Ohhh! You’re a perceptive one!” Ouma stopped right in front of the taller male. “How about a little game?”

“Okay then.”

They decided to go with something simple: rock, paper, scissors. It was a fair match at first, until they both suddenly started throwing out rock, paper, and scissors at the same time--resulting to draw, after draw, after draw. Kiibo suspected that it was the other’s doing, but didn’t say a word. After all, the point of cheating is to win using underhanded means--there’s no point in calling him out for something like that when they’ve been getting draws nonstop. However, it was still puzzling how someone can manipulate such a simple game to the point where he can end it in draws at will. It went on for a while until Ouma got bored and made them stop, that was probably for the best. Who knows how long it would have gone on?

Next they moved on to a few rounds of thumb wrestling, but they had to stop since Ouma started complaining about how sweaty his hand was getting.

“Alright, next is tic-tac-toe,” the mauve-haired teen grinned.

Kiibo quirked a brow at the suggestion, “I don’t think we have the means to play that game. This place is completely empty--there’s nothing here we can use to play that.”

“We just gotta be creative,” Ouma said in a sing song manner as he wagged a finger. The albino felt chills run down his spine when the other suddenly had a menacing expression on his face. “We can use our blood to play the game! What do you think? Wanna give it a go?” The longer Kiibo’s silence went on, his smirk only grew wider and wider.

Kiibo looked him in the eye, trying to search for his true intentions. “...Absolutely not.”

The tense atmosphere dissipated when Ouma suddenly flopped backwards with a pout. “Eh, I guess you’re right. We don’t even have a way to draw blood, and punching is out of the question because I hate pain; there’s also biting but I only reserve it for sex--” Ouma sat up almost immediately, his face glowing with child-like excitement. “Unless...that’s what you wanted to do? Have sex? That’s definitely a two-player game we can still play without getting bored~!”

Kiibo flushed. “Absolutely not! Something intimate like that...there’s no way I can do it just for fun. I won’t do it even if it’s you, Kokichi.”

The other teen frowned. “Stop calling me that...that’s not my name. Something as lame as that could never be my name.”

“You told me that you didn’t have a name earlier--”

“That was a lie, obviously!”

Kiibo’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I don’t understand...if you’re not him, then why do you look--”

“...Just like him? Beats me!” he shrugged. “It’s _your_ headspace. Maybe it’s to make you feel comfortable? Think about it, could you _really_ trust yourself with a stranger while being stuck in a dark place like this?”

“...I suppose you’re right...” Kiibo pursed his lips. “It only makes sense that you’d have _his_ face of all people. Not just his face...but his voice too...”

“Oh? What’s that supposed to mean?” Ouma asked, crawling towards the albino and settled down not too far from him.

“Well...the face you have right now is Ouma Kokichi’s--my best friend,” the albino paused, wondering if it’s okay for him to share something so personal to a stranger wearing _his_ face. He took a deep breath. Maybe it’s best if he takes this opportunity to be honest with himself. Whatever he’s going to say wouldn’t matter to a stranger, after all. “...and also the person I love.”

The mauve-haired teen regarded him with a blank look before flopping on his back again. “Heeeeeh. So you’re gay. Didn’t expect that.”

“Weren’t you the one who wanted to have sex just now?” Kiibo quirked a brow.

“Hey, just because _I_ do doesn’t mean you do too. Besides, you’re not even my type; I prefer my men bulky and armed with weapons of mass destruction anyway,” Ouma huffed.

“What--” _Just what kind of men is this guy into…?_

“So, were you two fucking already or what? You and the Kokichi guy.”

“No...we’re not romantically involved with each other, actually,” Kiibo rubbed his nape lamely. “The farthest I’ve ever done is...confess.”

Ouma shifted to his side to get a good view on his companion, his eyes sparkled with excitement. “Oooh! A confession! How’d it go? Tell me, tell me!”

“...I don’t know,” the albino’s forehead creased with worry and his eyes full of uncertainty. “...I never got to hear his answer, actually.”

“Whaaaat?! That’s so lame! You ran away after confessing?” Ouma smacked the floor. “Where’s the drama? The romantic tension? The fucking?!”

 _‘Didn’t you skip too many stages just now?_ ’

“It’s a little complicated,” Kiibo sighed. “I...confessed to him on Valentine’s Day. He looked shocked...that’s when I realized that I was placing unnecessary pressure on him to accept my feelings for confessing on such an occasion. So...I told him that he could just give me his answer on White Day.” He shifted his position so he could hug his knees. “I promised him that things would be the same between us until then...but it was harder than I thought.”

“Stuuuupi~d! It was a confession. A _confession!_ There’s no way things could ever be the same after something big like that!” Ouma tutted, drawing an invisible heart on the floor.

“...You’re right. I was stupid,” Kiibo buried his face in his knees. “I shouldn’t have delayed the inevitable. If only I listened to him before our Science class started, then I wouldn’t have...” his eyes widened.

_Wouldn’t have...what? Why did Kokichi look so worried…?_

“Wouldn’t have what?” Ouma inquired, as though he voiced out the question resounding in the other teen’s mind at the moment. “Did something happen during your Science class?”

“...It was...a laboratory session. The teacher asked my partner and I to--we were supposed to--the printouts, but then…grrk!” Kiibo winced, grabbing his head as a sharp pain stabbed through his mind. “My head hurts…!”

 _“Iidabashi!!!”_ there was a loud scream, followed by the sensation of falling. What happened to him? Why can’t he remember?

“Hey, you okay?” Ouma slowly rose from his position. “You don’t look so good.”

Kiibo slowly lifted his head, regarding the other with glazed eyes before collapsing on the floor unceremoniously, alarming his companion.

 

_“ve...ang...n...ii...b...!_

 

He folded his pink jacket and moved towards the albino, making him lay on the makeshift pillow

 

_“You’ve..ot...h..ng...on! Pl….se...”_

_“Don’t let...! Don’t...let go!”_

 

Ouma looked up. “Not good...you can’t stay with me for too long. You don’t belong here.”

 

\------------------------------------------------------

 

Kiibo woke up to the sensation of something soft drawing random strokes on his face. The feeling stopped just as soon as he opened his eyes, feeling hands cupping his face instead, making him instinctively look above him. Amethyst orbs stared into azure ones.

“Had a nice sleep, princess?” the mauve-haired teen regarded him with a cheeky grin.

“Koki….no,” Kiibo covered his eyes with a hand. “...No, you're not him.”

“Well, I appreciate your effort for remembering at least,” Ouma rolled his eyes. “Anyways, answer my question.”

“I don’t know...everything is hazy…” the albino groaned. “...How long was I unconscious?”

“Do I look like a clock to you?” Ouma gently tugged the albino’s cheeks. “I don’t even think time matters here. Daytime and nighttime simply doesn’t exist in this place.”

“I see...” Kiibo slowly sat up, rubbing his still head in the hopes of easing the dull pain. “I’m...sorry for passing out. I don’t know what happened. You must have been bored just watching someone sleep.”

“On the contrary, I had a lot of fun watching you make ridiculous faces in your sleep,” Ouma snickered. “That, and I got to draw a lot on your face.”

Kiibo instinctively slapped a hand to his face, pushing his companion to laugh unabashedly.

“You’re so naive!” cackled Ouma. “There’s no way I could have drawn on your face, I don’t even have a marker on me! Besides, if we _did_ have something like that, don’t you think we could have played tic-tac-toe on our skin earlier?” He waited for his laughter to die down before speaking again, wagging his right index finger as he did so. “This is all I used, relax.”

“O-oh…that’s right.” Kiibo dropped his hand, embarrassed. He winced as pain stabbed through his head once more. “I’m...sorry...I don’t think I can entertain you at the moment. My head hurts too much right now.”

Ouma observed the pained albino with a blank look before gently pulling the latter’s head downwards to make it rest on his lap. “Eh, that’s fine. You’ve entertained me plenty just now. It’s fine if we just laze around for the time being.” He started combing his hand through silver locks--a comforting gesture.

“Thanks…”

“Daikichi.”

“Huh?” Kiibo shifted a little so he could look at the other better.

“My name is Daikichi. As in, ‘big luck’,” the mauve-haired teen murmured. “I thought you were insulting me by calling me ‘small luck’ earlier. Didn’t think you had a friend with Kokichi as his name. Coincidences, am I right?” he chuckled.

“That’s something you should ask Kokichi himself...but personally speaking, I don’t mind,” Kiibo murmured, feeling his consciousness slowly slip away. The way Daikichi’s hand weaved through his hair was comforting, and the fact that he has Kokichi’s features…he couldn’t help but feel himself relax. “...As long as no one gets harmed, then I’m fine with it...” He fell asleep shortly after.

Daikichi smiled, “...You were always like this from the start, weren’t you, Kiibo? Always thinking about other people but yourself...” he brushed silver locks away from the sleeping teen’s face and pressed a kiss on the latter’s forehead. “You’re Kiibo...but not ‘my’ Kiibo. That’s why...even though you’re within my reach...I can’t have you.” He leaned back, heaving out a heavy sigh. “Aaaah...This sucks!”

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

“The patient’s been stabilized.”

Ouma choked back a sob as he desperately wiped his tears with his sleeves. “Thank god...thank god...!”

The doctor moved to pat him on the back. “It seems like Iidabashi-kun heard your voice and responded to your words accordingly. As long as he responds to you just like earlier, there is still hope for him. Just keep talking to him. Hearing the voices of his friends and family would help motivate him to recover.”

The teen nodded. “Thanks, doctor…”

“No problem. Also, it’s getting rather late young man. You should go home, your parents might start worrying if you don’t come home soon.”

“Um...may I see Kiibo first? Before I go home…” Ouma rubbed his arm awkwardly. “I wanted to see for myself that he’s okay. I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t.”

The doctor regarded him with a look before nodding. “Very well. But don’t take too long, alright? He needs to rest after what happened earlier.”

Ouma’s face brightened. “I promise I’ll leave as soon as possible! Thanks again doctor!” He didn’t bother waiting for a response before heading for his best friend’s room. He opened the door silently, peeking his head inside just in case there were still nurses inside. Seeing as there were none, he entered the room and shut the door behind with a click.

During the first week of Kiibo’s coma, the sound of constant beeping and whirring of the machines haunted him even in his dreams. But right now, he found comfort in them. They were proof that Kiibo is still alive. That he’s still okay. They gave him hope that eventually, he’ll wake up. When the machine almost stopped beeping earlier--Ouma shook his head, snapping himself out of his stupor. No. Now’s not the time to think of depressing thoughts, especially not when he’s visiting his best friend. He’s going to be okay. The doctors are doing their best to keep him alive.

Ouma walked towards the sleeping albino, taking note of his sickly complexion. You wouldn’t think that he already underwent a blood transfusion to treat his anemia considering how pale he is.

“...You know, you never got to hear my answer during White Day,” he whispered. “I really wanted to tell you how much I...how much I love you. But that can wait...you have to wake up first, okay? After that, I can say I love you as much as you want.” He wiped a stray tear with his sleeve before hesitantly reaching out to the unconscious teen, brushing the latter’s silver locks away from his face before planting a chaste kiss on his forehead. “I’ll be on my way now. Take care, Kiibo.”

At this point in time, the hospital staff already got used to Ouma’s presence in the ICU, considering he visits Kiibo everyday without fail. He bowed to the nurses, greeting them with a small ‘thanks for all the good work’ before leaving the hospital. He didn’t like the atmosphere in hospitals before, but now he’s gotten used to it. He’s used to watching the family members of other ICU patients struggle with putting up a cheerful front whenever they visited their loved ones. He couldn’t help but recall what the doctor told him a few weeks ago. Even though Kiibo is sleeping, he could still hear the people around him. If he were to hear people crying in his presence, he’d be stressed out and upset to the point that it would risk him not waking up at all. That’s why Ouma would rather spend his trip home crying than doing the same in Kiibo’s presence.

He made sure to erase the evidence of his tears as soon as he arrives home, not wanting to alarm his mother. He threw out a hasty ‘I’m home’ before rushing upstairs to take a warm bath since it snowed earlier.

“How did the visit go today?” his mother asked during dinner. “Any changes?”

“...No changes.” Ouma set his chopsticks down, pursing his lips before responding. “Actually, we...we almost lost him today.”

Just as soon as he said that, his mother rushed out of her seat and hugged him. “Oh, honey…”

“I’m fine now! Really, I am,” the teen gently pried her arms off him. “Kiibo’s condition is stable again. The doctors said that...he heard me telling him to hang on, and that’s why he started stabilizing.”

“I’m glad that he’s okay…” she moved to grab her son by the shoulders. “...Koki...be honest with me, are you hiding something from me? Something has been bothering me for a long while now, and I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me.”

His head perked up. “Huh? What are you talking about, mom?”

“...You love him, don’t you? You love Iidabashi-kun?” she asked, worried amethyst orbs staring into shocked ones. “Don’t worry, you can always tell mama anything, Koki. I won’t hate you just because you love someone of the same sex. I’ll love you no matter what because you’re my son!” Her lips quivered as she finished her sentence, her eyes welling up with tears.

Caught off guard by his mother’s words, Ouma looked away, his cheeks flushed. “...I-I do.” he clenched his fists. “I love Kiibo with all my heart, mom. That’s why--” The woman engulfed him in her arms again, sobbing against his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry that you’ve been going through this alone all this time…!” she cried. “Please share your sadness with me. Mama will always listen!”

Ouma returned the hug and awkwardly rubbed her back. “I’m really fine mom. I believe that Kiibo will wake up. I don’t know when, but I know he will. That’s why I have to do my best and smile for him while he can’t.”

“Koki…” his mother moved back, eyes full of love and affection. “...You were always right beside me, yet I never noticed that you’ve already become a man until now.”

Ouma looked down. “C-can we get back to dinner? This is getting a little embarrassing...and the food is starting to get cold...” _I can feel the tears pricking my eyes. If this goes on, I might start crying too._

The elder Ouma sniffled as she wiped her tears, “Yeah. We shouldn’t let the food get cold…I’m sorry for being so emotional. These past few days, I...”

The teen flashed her a smile, “It’s okay mom. It’s because you’re emotional that you’re able to cook such delicious meals everyday.” As if to make a point, he picked up a gyoza with his chopsticks and popped it in his mouth. “The meals you cook is always delicious because you put so much love into them. And that’s why I love you too, mom.”

Unable to respond, the woman was shoveling food in her mouth as she cried. Far too moved by her child’s words to be able to formulate a coherent sentence.

Ouma fell on his bed unceremoniously as soon as he was finished assisting his mother with the dishes. He sat up after remembering that he had something to do before going to sleep. He pulled out a black marker from his bedside drawer and uncapped it on his way towards the calendar hanging from his door. With two precise strokes, he drew a neat “X” over the number 23. It was already the 23rd day of March, and Kiibo is still comatose. Kiibo couldn’t have known that he already gave his answer to him on White Day, just like they promised. There, alone in his best friend’s room in the ICU, he confessed his feelings to him.

Professor Iidabashi’s words echoed in his mind.

_“Kiibo has been in love with you for a very long time. He’s only found courage to confess to you when Valentine’s was right around the corner. He thought it was the right time to tell you.”_

Ouma closed his eyes with a sigh. “For someone who’s been by his side for so long...I’m so stupid for not noticing it. ...Pathetic. I’m just so pathetic.”

His usual routine of self-deprecation would have continued for hours uninterrupted were it not for the sound of his phone going off with its usual jingle. He grabbed his phone from his bedside drawer and sat on his bed, flicking his finger on the screen to unlock it and saw that he had new messages from the group chat Shirogane set up for their class. It seems they’ve been chatting for quite a while now, he didn’t notice the messages before since he always set his phone on silent whenever he visits Kiibo. What could they be possibly talking about right now?

 **chachashira:** that sounds like a great idea, yonaga-chan!

 **urshrine-angel:** i’m glad you think so! we have to buy a lot of paper for this, though. 1000 is a lot.

 **shirotaku1001:** oh! Don’t you think it would be cute if we make them using iidabashi-kun’s favorite color?

 **stargazer☆彡:** what’s his favorite color anyway?

 **dreamychild:** didn’t he tell us that when he introduced himself (*´艸`*) ww

 **stargazer☆彡:** that was like a long time ago!!! you expect me to remember something like that?

 **amamimi:** it looks like iruma is online.  @immiunology  do you know iidabashi’s favorite color?

 **immiunology:**??

 **immiunology:** idk? we don’t really talk about those. we’re lab partners so science is what we talk about most of the time.

 **immiunology:** just like  @stargazer☆彡  it’s impossible for me to remember something so minor like his favorite color

 **stargazer☆彡:** see?!  i’m not the only one who forgot!

 **stargazer☆彡:** wait, you’re the one who brought it up first. does that mean you remember what it was?

 **dreamychild:** nope (*´艸`*) ww i’m just messing with you

 **stargazer☆彡:** yumenoooo!! (╬⓪益⓪)

 **dreamychild:** wwww

 **pianobaka:** Maybe we should wait for Ouma-kun. He visits Iidabashi-kun everyday, doesn’t he? ( ;´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

★ **:** he’s on

Ouma almost dropped his phone out of shock. Once he regained his composure, he started typing out a response.

 **horsemperor:** hello

 **horsemperor:** i was reading through old messages so i wasn’t able to respond right away

 **horsemperor:** sorry

 **pianobaka:** That’s okay! I’m assuming you just got back?

 **horsemperor:** yeah

 **chachashira:** well? since you read back, i’m sure you know what we’re going to ask you right?

 **horsemperor:** oh right. uhh

 **horsemperor:** he likes green and blue equally so…

 **horsemperor:** both colors are his favorite

 **urshrine-angel:** hmm! that’s a pretty combination! i think if we add in white we can make a nice gradient out of it (/^▽^)/

 **stargazer☆彡:**  a what now?

 **t.oujousama:** A gradient is where one color smoothly transitions into another color. To make the transition look smoother, I think it is best if we buy different shades of green and blue as well.

 **urshrine-angel:** yes yes! ₍₍ ◝(●˙꒳˙●)◜ ₎₎ that’s the idea!

 **horsemperor:** correct me if i’m wrong

 **horsemperor:** but are you guys planning to fold paper cranes?

 **chachashira:** yep! yonaga-chan suggested it earlier

 **urshrine-angel:** my grandmother says that if we fold 1000 paper cranes, we can have 1 wish granted. so I was thinking that we should use our wish to pray for iidabashi-san’s recovery.

 **✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ace detective :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:** The paper crane murder...I can use this! (ὸ⍸ό)✧ One night while visiting a shrine, Maizono……

Ouma knew the aspiring detective novelist long enough to know that it’s better to tune out his long messages and only react to it after he’s done with his spiel.

 **dreamychild:** www there goes mr. sparkle again

 **pianobaka:** Saihara-kun, now is not really the time. We’re talking about what to do for Iidabashi-kun right now.

 **✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ace detective :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:** You mean folding paper cranes?

 **shirotaku1001:** yes

 **✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ace detective :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:** Do we even have the funds to pay for all the materials?

 **t.oujousama:** I can cover the cost.

 **bug_professor:** no!!!

 **pianobaka:** No!

 **harumaki✿:** no. Since this is going to be a class effot

 **harumaki✿:** effort* I think it’s better if we just pool our money equally and use it to buy the materials

 **harumaki✿:** then we can distribute them among ourselves and fold our own batch of cranes. How does this sound?

 **bug_professor:** I agree with harukawa-san’s idea.

 **shirotaku1001:** mmhm! sounds good to me! we can’t let toujou-san pay for our expenses all the time after all

 **✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ace detective :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:** That settles that then. Now back to the murder, the policemen weren’t able to……….

 **chachashira:** can’t we make another group chat for this?

 **chachashira:** his murder talk is making me uncomfortable...〣( ºΔº )〣

 **pianobaka:** Saihara-kun is just passionate about mysteries. Sure his stories are off-putting, but other than that, he’s harmless!

 **shirotaku1001:** this chatroom was also made for our whole class. We can’t leave anyone out.

 **amamimi:** this is kinda late but  @horsemperor  how was the visit?

Ouma felt his breath hitch at the question. Wait, why is he still so affected? Kiibo is fine. He’s stable now. The hospital will take proper care of him just as always. He doesn’t have to tell them what happened. There’s no point in making them worry even more since Kiibo already pulled through. When everything first started, he broke down as soon as he got home. And when everyone asked him about Kiibo’s condition that night in a group call, the entire mood of their class dampened as they listened to him cry as he parroted what the doctor told him. He’s already made so many people worry.

 **stargazer☆彡:**  oi ouma

 **stargazer☆彡:** you there?

His fingers trembled as he slowly typed out his response. He doesn’t have to tell them. They’re just asking out of courtesy anyway. No one would find out that he’s hiding something from them even if he gives him the usual ‘nothing much,’ since none of them are able to visit Kiibo in the ICU except for him. They don’t have to know. They don’t have to know…

 **horsemperor:** We almost lost him today.

_But he’s sick of lying._

Everyone stopped their own individual conversations--even Saihara’s rambling stopped as soon as they read his message. Ouma quickly typed out another response before they could react.

 **horsemperor:** I was about to go home when I noticed that his heart monitor was beeping slower than usual, so I turned back to check on him. That’s when he suddenly flatlined.

 **horsemperor:** I hit the emergency button to call the doctors. It took them a while, but they managed to revive him and stabilize his condition. He’s resting right now.

His grip on his phone tightened as he waited for anyone to respond. Telling them was the right decision, right Kiibo?

 **korekiyo_s:**...I know this stationery shop that sells high quality papers for a cheap price. It’s not too far from Rantarou-kun’s neighborhood.

_Huh?_

**amamimi:** i’ll buy it for us then. just give me the money and i’ll buy it asap

 **amamimi:** shinguuji, you’ll be coming with me since you know the way and @bug_professor you’re going to help us carry the materials

 **korekiyo_s:** Okay.

 **bug_professor:** fine with me!

 **urshrine-angel:** excellent! next we should decide how to divide our workload ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و we definitely have to finish this before iidabashi-kun wakes up!

 **dreamychild:** i don’t even know how to fold paper cranes

★ **:** i have an origami book at home. i can lend it to you at school

 **chachashira:** can I borrow it too?

★ **:** sure. just return it to me afterwards

 **pianobaka:** You must be tired right now, Ouma-kun. How about you go get some rest and leave all the planning to us? ♪♪ｖ(⌒ｏ⌒)ｖ♪♪

 **horsemperor:** huh?

 **horsemperor:** but isn’t this a class effort?

 **horsemperor:** i should be helping out too

 **horsemperor:** this is for kiibo after all…

 **shirotaku1001:** that’s exactly why you should leave it to us, ouma-kun.

 **shirotaku1001:** we unintentionally burdened you with the task of updating us on iidabashi-kun’s condition even when it’s already weighing you down since he’s your best friend. We wanted to visit him too, but not just anyone can go visit a patient in the ICU, right?

 **immiunology:** yeah

 **immiunology:** they p much allow family members only

 **immiunology:** even then, only few people are allowed to c the patient

 **immiunology:** something about how having 2 many visitors would stress out the patient

 **shirotaku1001:** i read from somewhere that it’s to keep the room sanitary since we tend to be surrounded in bacteria outside of the hospital

 **pianobaka:** To keep things simple--

 **pianobaka:** We don’t want you to be burdened even more. We’re not trying to isolate you or anything, we just want you to worry about things that are worth worrying about. Iidabashi-kun is our friend too. Let us worry for him too. You don’t have to worry for him on your own.

 **urshrine-angel:** yes yes! that’s why you should definitely go to sleep now ouma-kun. we’ll tell you everything about the plan once it’s settled

 **urshrine-angel:** you must be exhausted!

 **horsemperor:** but…

 **dreamychild:** enough!

 **dreamychild:** you have forced my hand!

 **dreamychild:** i am now going to cast a powerful sleeping spell on you!!!

 **dreamychild:** ╰(•̀ 3 •́)━☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ _SLEEP!!!_

 **chachashira:** oh no!

 **chachashira:** ouma-kun won’t be able to wake up until 12 hours has passed!

 **dreamychild:** (˵¯̴͒ꇴ¯̴͒˵) fufufu! that’s right! my magic...is to be feared.

He still had too many things to say to his friends, not wanting to worry them any further however, he decided to play along instead. He wiped a stray tear from his cheek before typing out one last message.

 **horsemperor:** ＿ﾉ乙(､ﾝ､)_ zzzz…

 **chachashira:** ∑(ﾟﾛﾟ〃) it worked!

 **dreamychild:** it worked?!

 **dreamychild:** i mean

 **dreamychild:** (˵¯̴͒ꇴ¯̴͒˵) of course it worked!

He closed his phone’s screen and made his way to the bathroom to give his face a good washing; he decided to brush his teeth too since he was already there. Once he was done, he moved to switch off the lights and got under his sheets, shifting a little closer to the wall. He spent a couple of moments just staring at his ceiling before finally allowing himself to close his eyes and actually sleep. For some reason...his chest feels a lot lighter. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll be having good dreams for tonight.

Funny enough, he really did end up waking up 12 hours later. Could Yumeno-san possibly be--no. It can’t be.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

_“…I love you…”_

 

Kiibo slowly opened his eyes. “...Kokichi…?”

Daikichi leaned over him with an unamused expression. “Are you going to keep doing that each time you wake up? This is like the second time,” he groused.

“No...Just now...I heard him...” the albino murmured. “I didn’t understand what he said...but it’s definitely him. I’m sure of it.”

The mauve-haired teen’s eyes widened. _‘He heard him…! Does this mean he’s--’_

“Oh?” Daikichi leaned back on his hands, feigning disinterest. “How nice. I’m kinda jealous right now. It must be nice having someone like Kiibooze dream of you.”

Finally realizing that he was lying on the other teen’s lap, Kiibo slowly pushed himself off the floor. “...Sorry...it must have been uncomfortable having me rest on your lap for so long.”

“I don’t want your ‘sorry’. Shouldn’t you be telling me something else?” the shorter teen stretched his limbs out with a satisfying pop. “I’m not being kind to you for free. Come on, say it.”

“Ah,” Kiibo shifted to a kneeling position and bowed, pressing his forehead against the floor. “Thank you for watching over me while I was resting, Daikichi. Not just now, but for earlier too.”

“H-hey! You don’t have to go that far,” Daikichi stammered, his face flushed from embarrassment. “I was only kidding! Geez…”

“Even so, you weren’t wrong. I have to express my gratitude somehow,” Kiibo raised his head. “Despite whatever you say, you’ve only been kind to me--a stranger.”

“Sh-shut up already! I get it, now stop,” the mauve-haired teen huffed. “...You’re embarrassing me...”

The albino merely offered him a smile. “If you won’t accept my words, then how about a gesture?” he patted his lap. “You let me rest on your lap earlier, so how about you rest on mine next? You must be tired too.”

Daikichi chewed on his bottom lip. He looked at the Kiibo, then at his lap, then back at the albino. Presented with such a rare opportunity, he felt his self-control snap. “Well, it would be rude to say no since you kindly offered!” he rested his head on the taller male’s lap with a plop, pulling his pink jacket over him like a blanket. “Also, you’re not allowed to look at my face while I sleep. That’s creepy.”

 _‘Didn’t you do the same for me?’_ Kiibo thought. “Okay. Have a nice rest.”

“Niiiight~”

The mauve-haired teen closed his eyes, steadying his breaths enough to feign sleep. Honestly, there was no reason for him to put up this charade. He doesn’t even need to sleep, rather, he lost his need to sleep. Because he’s already--

Gentle fingers started carding through his hair, untangling his mess of a hairstyle without inflicting him any form of pain or discomfort. Even with his eyes closed, he can already picture Kiibo calmly patting his head with this stupidly serene smile on his face. His breath hitched, but he recovered fast enough to maintain his facade.

_This feels...a lot like that time…_

The memory was still fresh in his mind. That time...it was just him and _that person_ , all alone within the confines of the latter’s room. _He_ would scold him at first, for barging in his room unannounced that night, what with the risk of being killed by any of their ‘friends’ and all. All it took was one look at his pathetically panic-stricken form for _his_ mechanical stance to relax and pat the space in his bed. For someone artificial...his touch was a lot warmer compared to everyone else in that cursed school. The hand in his hair right now was obviously made out of flesh and not of metal, but even so...it feels exactly the same. This person is most definitely…

“Kiibo…” the mauve-haired teen choked back a sob, his eyes still shut. His entire body trembled as he resisted his urge to cry, but it was all futile. Before he knew it, he was already crying hard, causing the tremors in his body to grow more intense, which alarmed his only companion. ‘ _I want to be with you. I want you by my side. I miss you!’_ His thoughts screamed as the albino pulled him in a tight embrace. He found himself screaming incoherently against Kiibo’s shoulder as he returned the embrace tightly, far too afraid to let go.

“Daikichi...what’s wrong?” Kiibo asked as he rubbed the shorter male’s back.

“Not...here…” Daikichi spoke in between sobs. “You’re not...supposed to be here!”

“What...what do you mean?” Daikichi slowly disentangled himself from the embrace and held the albino by his shoulders.

“You. Don’t. Belong. _Here._ ” even though he was crying, the shorter teen’s eyes carried with it strength and unparalleled determination. “He is--Kokichi is waiting for you outside! You can’t stay here with me any longer!”

“Kokichi...is waiting for me?” Kiibo parroted in confusion. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Why can’t I stay here? What’s going on?”

“You heard him, right? You heard Kokichi’s voice?” Daikichi’s grip on the albino’s shoulders tightened when the latter nodded in response. “I could hear him all this time, and just now...that was the first time you actually heard him. This means you still have a chance!”

_Did you hear something? Just now._

Kiibo’s eyes widened in realization. So that’s why Daikichi asked him that earlier. “Chance...? What do you mean?”

“A chance to leave this place,” Daikichi looked down. ‘ _And a chance to forget about me.’_

“You knew what this place was from the start?”

“Telling you what this place is will only pull you in deeper. You wouldn’t be able to get out once I tell you!” Daikichi’s breath hitched at his sudden outburst. He dropped his hands to the floor palms first. “I...was doing it for you...and for _him…_ ”

“Daikichi...”

_“I’m sorry for arriving so late, I got held up at school.”_

Both of them flinched before looking up.

“Kokichi…” the albino murmured. Daikichi noted how he looked so enamored and pained at the same time at the sound of his love’s voice.

_“Umm...where to start…Ah! Right! Your father gave me a call yesterday. He said that he’ll be returning home from his business trip this week. You’ll get to hear his voice again, not just mine. I know you’re probably tired of listening to my voice anyway haha...”_

“That’s...impossible...” Kiibo looked down. “I could never grow tired of your voice, Kokichi...”

_“...Don’t worry. Even if you get tired of my voice, I won’t stop talking to you. I won’t leave your side either. So please...do your best in getting better, alright?”_

“Get...better...?” Kiibo clutched his head as pain stabbed through his mind. “What...what is he talking about…? Where is this? What am I doing here? Why...why can’t I remember…?” he spoke in between gasps. “Why...why...why?!”

Daikichi pulled the albino to his chest, “Calm...calm down.” He took a deep breath of his own, trying to calm his nerves from his earlier breakdown. “Listen to my heartbeat, and follow my breathing.”

Kiibo did as he was told, feeling himself calm down once the pain in his head gradually subsided. They stayed in the position in silence, save for the occasional sniffle coming from either one of them. Daikichi rested his chin atop the albino’s head; the very presence of Kiibo before him was calming to him.

“Don't force yourself to remember. You'll only end up forgetting even more and hurt yourself in the end,” he murmured. “I know I said that you don't belong here--that much is true. But you have to stay calm--as long as you can hear Kokichi’s voice, you have an out to this place. Just listen to his voice. Focus on it. And soon everything will get back to you.”

“...What about you?”

“Huh?”

“All you've talked about so far was me having the chance to leave…But what about you?” Kiibo looked up at him. “You’ve been stuck here longer than I have, haven’t you?”

The mauve-haired teen blinked once, twice, before huffing out a laugh. “I'm not stuck. I can leave this place any time I want, actually.”

“Then what are you still doing here?” Kiibo moved back in surprise. “Why stay?”

“I'm waiting for someone…” Daikichi chewed on his bottom lip before continuing. “...He’s very important to me, so, I can’t leave him behind. I already left him once and I don’t plan on doing it twice.”

“How...long have you been waiting for him?” asked Kiibo, his forehead creasing with concern.

The mauve-haired teen offered him a small grin, “Who knows? Time doesn’t exist here, remember? For all you know, a month had already passed even though only an hour lapsed here. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m still here waiting for him. And that you’re still here trying to remember your memories.”

Kiibo wiped his eyes with his sleeves. “...You’re right. I can’t waste time thinking about other things...not when Kokichi is waiting for me outside.”

“That's right,” Daikichi grinned. “I know we’ve talked about this before, but maybe this time you’d remember something if we talked about your confession again.”

The albino’s cheeks were now suffused with a cute shade of red, pursing his lips as he weighed his options. “Will remembering my memories really help me get out of this place?”

“It doesn’t work instantly, but it’s the first step to getting out of here,” the mauve-haired teen replied, placing his pink jacket over his shoulders. “In the end, it still depends on you if you want to leave or not once you remember. I’m sure both of us knows that there’s no way I’m letting you stay here.”

Kiibo spent a few moments of silence thinking before finally nodding his consent. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

Daikichi flashed him a grin. "Now that's the spirit!" 

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

“Did your whole class make this for Kiibo?” Iidabashi reached out to touch one of the cranes.

Ouma nodded. “All of us folded our own set of cranes and attached it together. We also made a wish for Kiibo’s recovery in Yonaga-san’s shrine yesterday.”

The professor smiled and ruffled the teen’s hair. “They’re very beautiful. I can sense everyone’s feelings from each crane. ...Thank you for everything you’ve done for Kiibo while I was away, Ouma-kun. I hope you can give your classmates my thanks as well.”

“I’ll be sure to tell them that,” Ouma smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, this chapter is...quite lengthy x'D Which also contributed to the late update. Not to mention it made me exceed the estimated chapters for this plot line. I'm not sure when I'll update, but I promise that the next chapter would be the last, so please stay tuned!


	4. Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Finally, we're free."

Kiibo slowly stirred himself awake, blinking his eyes a couple of times in the hopes of making his eyesight focus. Once it did, he realized that he was staring up at a pristine white ceiling instead of sea green--which could only mean that he’s not at home right now. Where could he possibly be? His entire body felt heavy and there was a dull throbbing on the back of his head. His eyes flicked to the machinery located on his right, the sound of steady beeping finally registering in his ears.

 _‘The...hospital?’_ he slowly turned his head to the right, not wanting to aggravate the pain in his head. His eyes softened at the familiar sight of messy mauve-tinted hair cascading over his right hand.

 _‘Kokichi...’_ He tried lifting his right arm so he could see for himself if the teen sleeping by his bed was real, but to no avail. He decided to focus on wiggling his fingers instead, seeing as lifting his arm was currently a pipe dream. It took him plenty of tries, but he finally succeeded in making his index finger twitch ever so slightly, which was enough to make contact with the soft dark locks that was Kokichi’s hair. He was able to confirm that the Kokichi sleeping beside him was very much real, and that he wasn’t hallucinating at the very least. Small victories, as they all say.

It took him a while to notice, however, that he was no longer staring at dark, purple tipped hair, but wide amethyst orbs instead.

“You’re...you’re awake!” Ouma exclaimed as he shot up from his seat too fast, making the chair he was sitting on helplessly fall backwards. His focus quickly shifted to the emergency button located not too far from his current position. He hurriedly moved to press the button to call for the doctors instead of leaving the room in fear that Kiibo would fall right back into his coma once left alone. He held his friend’s hand in both of his, “I-I called the doctors just now, whatever you do, don’t go back to sleep. Just keep your eyes open and stay awake for me, okay?”

Kiibo’s lips trembled as he struggled to open his mouth and speak, but no sound came out despite his attempt. Ouma expected this outcome, but nevertheless, he offered his friend a little smile and squeezed his hand. “It will be okay. I’ll be here with you until the doctors arrive. How about we talk for a bit?”

With new found strength, the albino squeezed the other teen’s hands back, albeit weakly. Ouma’s smile widened at his gesture. He began telling Kiibo about random things he’s experienced while he was on his way to visit him in the hospital that day, new hobbies he’s recently gotten into, the complicated dishes he’s learned how to cook on his own, and even brought his attention to the origami cranes hanging by the window. All in an attempt to keep the bedridden teen awake. As soon as the doctors arrived, Ouma gave his friend’s hand another reassuring squeeze before leaving the room to let the doctors do their work in peace.

The first thing Ouma sees upon stepping outside of Kiibo’s room was a distressed professor who was speed walking his way towards him with a paper bag in hand.

“I saw the doctors rushing to Kiibo’s room just now--” Professor Iidabashi asked, grabbing the teen’s shoulder with his free hand. “What’s going on? Did something happen to him?”

The dark haired teen shook his head, he honestly wanted to stop smiling, but he just can’t. He can’t, because-- “He’s awake.”

Apples spilled across the white-tiled floor when the elder Iidabashi dropped his earlier purchase out of shock.

 

\------------------------------------------------------

 

From what the doctors told them, Kiibo scored a 10 in the Glasgow Coma Scale after waking up. Ah, to explain what that is, it’s a kind of test that doctors commonly use to help gauge the severity of an acute brain injury suffered by a patient. They use it to test their level of consciousness, their verbal response, and lastly, their motor response. They also use it to check whether a patient’s condition is improving or deteriorating after undergoing physical therapy. The lowest score a person could get in the scale was 3, while the highest was 15. The professor explained that getting a score of 9-12 in the scale classified the brain injury suffered as moderate. Which is actually a better result than expected, considering Kiibo had been in a coma for a little over a month. He was incredibly lucky that his condition wasn’t severe enough to leave him in a vegetative state despite his inactivity.

The news about Kiibo regaining his consciousness soon got spread out like wildfire in the entire school. Everyone who knew him--friends and family alike, were excited to visit him once he got moved out of the ICU and into another room where the number of visitors would be less restricted. No one minded the fact that he couldn’t speak for the time being since they all had plenty of stories to share with him; all he had to do was relax and let them do the talking. Although most conversations had to be cut short in favor of his scheduled check-ups and daily physical therapy sessions.

Things were also busier now that Kiibo was awake; there were a lot of adjustments to be made after all--his performance at school and his personal relationships, to name a few. However, Ouma still found time to visit him daily, and even brought some of his school notes with him during his weekend visits in order to bring Kiibo up to speed on the topics he missed while he was asleep. It was good that their teachers were understanding enough to give him some homework to make up for his absences just so he could advance to the next year level with everyone. The deadline was still far away too, which gave him more than enough time to recover from the effects of his coma first before he has to work on the special assignment.

Ouma took a deep breath before giving the door three steady knocks, gently pushing the door open afterwards. “Pardon my intrusion,” he greeted. “I brought some simple Math exercises with me today. I thought that maybe we can work on some of them together after we go over yesterday’s lesson again?”

It might be the pleasant weather, or maybe it was how the sunlight streamed into the room as the pale blue curtains of the room danced with the breeze...but having Kiibo smile at him in such a setting took his breath away. It was the albino’s stiff waving and his concerned face that snapped Ouma out of his reverie.

“A-ah, sorry, I didn’t expect the room to be this bright, so I had to wait for my eyes to adjust,” Ouma shook his head a little before taking the vacant seat beside the albino, who simply nodded with understanding.

Once he was settled in his seat, Ouma started unpacking the contents of his backpack on the bed. They settled into their usual weekend routine shortly after, with the mauve-haired teen re-explaining the lessons they covered the day before just to refresh both of their minds before they started tackling any of the exercises he brought with him. He would steal glances of the albino from time to time, the latter being too focused on answering the exercises to notice. Ouma silently berated himself for acting like a creep and resumed answering his own set of math problems. That’s when he remembered last night’s conversation with their classmates.

“Oh!”

Kiibo turned to look at his companion, tilting his head questioningly.

“I just remembered something, that’s all,” Ouma smiled. “Everyone wanted to meet up at the beach for Golden Week. We were wondering if you’d already be discharged from the hospital by then?”

The albino looked pensive as he started scribbling on his notebook, then flipped it to show his friend what he wrote. It wasn’t like his usual neat handwriting at all, but it was legible at least.

‘I’m not sure. But my therapist said that I’m making good progress.’

“I wonder if we could ask the hospital to release you early...Then again, your physical therapy is more important than going to the beach with us. Well, we can always go on another outing after you recover. It doesn’t have to be now,” Ouma smiled as he mussed up his friend’s hair. “I know you’re doing your best to recover.”

Kiibo smiled as he scribbled more words on his notes.

‘Actually, my father told me everything that happened while I was unconscious. Hearing about all the things you’ve done for me while I was in a coma made me want to get better as soon as possible. I made everyone worry because of my carelessness, too...Sorry.’

“Y-you don’t have to apologize! I was the one who volunteered to watch over you while your father was out of town--I wasn’t bothered at all!” stammered Ouma, cheeks now suffused with rosy red. “Besides...you’d be lonely if you didn’t have anyone to come visit you...” he murmured.

The albino returned his gaze on his notes, silently praying that his face isn’t emulating the shade of a ripe tomato right now.

‘Thank you, Kokichi.’

Ouma’s eyes widened in astonishment before he settled for a small smile. “You’re welcome.”

They wordlessly agreed to resume answering their respective exercises, believing that any other activity that doesn’t involve them addressing the awkward tension between them earlier is the better option. Neither of them wanted to be seen blushing by the other, after all. They started going over their answers together as soon as they finished their respective workload.

Ouma was in the middle of explaining the formula he used for a particular problem, when Kiibo suddenly grabbed him by the wrist in order to get his attention. Once the albino was sure that he had Ouma’s undivided attention, he tapped a particular part of the equation with his finger, mouthing out, ‘You got this part wrong,’ which reduced the shorter male into an embarrassed shade of red; prompting Kiibo to let out a breathy laugh, which made the other teen smile. Kiibo started writing notes on Ouma’s solution once his laughter subsided--bringing to his attention which parts he got wrong before writing down the correct formula to use for the equation next to the item in question.

“Huh? We were supposed to use this formula?” the dark haired teen asked as he looked over the corrections his companion made. He also took note of the other items Kiibo encircled, which were marked with a short note of, ‘use the same formula here.’

Ouma bowed his head in a mix of shame and defeat, “Urk...I’m supposed to be the one helping you with your homework...not the other way around...” he heaved out a sigh before smiling. “Thanks for the corrections, I’ll go fix it now.” He took a deep breath, and with the face of a determined warrior ready to enter the battlefield, he started working on the needed corrections.

Kiibo didn’t want to come across as some creepy opportunist by using this chance to just gaze at his object of affections unabashedly, so he decided to go over his own answers to check for any possible corrections. Or at least, attempt to. He still found himself stealing glances of Ouma from time to time though...

 

_“You have to make a choice. It’s either you get out there and face the consequences of your actions, or you stay in this dark and boring place with me for eternity--thereby possibly losing your only chance of ever seeing Kokichi again. If you choose the wrong answer or anything remotely similar to it, I’m going to smack you with my coat until you surrender. The choice is yours, Kiiboo.”_

_“In other words, my only choice is to choose the correct answer?”_

_“Nishishi! That’s right! Now...your answer, Kiibo?”_

_“My answer is...”_

 

Kiibo’s head perked up at the memory.

 _That’s...right. He’s been awake for quite a while now. What exactly was he waiting for? He promised_ _him_ _. He can’t just dismiss everything he’s experienced during his coma as nothing but a senseless dream. If Daikichi could see him right now, he would definitely scorn him from the afterlife._

He turned to face his friend, who was still engrossed in his work. Although he was still having trouble enunciating words during his sessions with his speech therapist...he has to say it. What he did last Valentine’s wasn’t even a proper confession! Love...is not something that can be simply measured or conveyed by chocolates. He knows that now. He owes Ouma a proper confession--not the half-hearted one he made on such a special occasion too.

Kiibo took a deep breath, tightening his grip on his pen to keep himself anchored. His lips trembled with hesitation, but he eventually managed to part his lips. He decided to start with something simple first before trying out a complete sentence, as suggested to him by his speech therapist. _‘Kokichi._ _Ko-ki-chi. Only three syllables. This should be simple enough.’_

“K--” he used his free hand to massage his throat. He was still out of practice, but he can’t let this drag on any longer. It’s now or never, and never is clearly not the correct answer. “...K...Ko…”

Ouma’s head perked up at the sound of his voice, his hand pausing from its task of solving complex equations. He tilted his head, brows furrowed. He doesn’t voice out his question, but Kiibo could tell that Ouma was wondering if he was only hearing things or not.

“K-Ko..ki...chi,” Kiibo tried once more, slowly and steadily just so he could enunciate it better. At this point, he already has Ouma’s full attention, his shocked vivid amethyst eyes were now staring into his azure ones.

“Kiibo…?”

The albino reached for his hand, wrapping his fingers around the latter’s wrist. A silent plea for him to not look away as he stiltedly called his name over and over, not minding how his voice cracked in every attempt. It was rougher than how it was before, but it was still the same voice Ouma adored.

“...Kokichi.” Kiibo smiled triumphantly once he finally succeeded. “K-Kokichi!” He called one more time, smiling from ear to ear as he did so.

“Yes, Kiibo?” a smile crept across Ouma’s face, using his other hand to place atop Kiibo’s--a reassuring gesture.

“...L-lo...ve...”

Ouma’s breath hitched, eyes widening just as soon as he realized what Kiibo was about to say. It was as if he went back in time and was now forced to experience the same emotional rollercoaster he went through during Valentine’s Day for the second time. Images of that day started flashing before his eyes...that’s when he noticed the stark difference between then and now. No. This wasn't the same as last time at all. The lingering sadness and fear present in Kiibo’s eyes during that time were no longer there. All he sees now is his object of affections struggling to convey his feelings despite the difficulty caused by his coma. It was a heart-wrenching sight to behold, but the gesture only made Ouma fall deeper than he already was. He unconsciously held his breath for what was to come.

 

“I...love you. Ko...Kokichi...”

 

Looking at Kiibo’s eyes as he confesses, Ouma realizes, was a big mistake, as he felt hot tears roll down his cheeks. The latter hastily pulled his hands away to wipe his tears with his sleeve. _‘I-I was so shocked that I forgot to hold my tears back...how embarrassing!’_ he mentally berated himself as he sobbed.

“Ko--”

“Unfair...you’re too unfair…!” Ouma hiccupped, burying his face in his hands as he started crying uncontrollably. “Y-you took me completely off guard…!”

Kiibo leaned closer, his brows knitted in worry. “Kokichi…?”

Slowly, he rose from his seat to engulf the worried albino in his arms, eliciting a soft gasp from the latter. “I’ve always known for a long time that I...that I was in love with you. But I was too stupid and cowardly to admit it, that’s why I kept pushing the thought away!” he whispered. He started sobbing again when he felt the albino gingerly return the embrace. “When...when you fell into a coma, I was just here waiting and waiting--hoping that you’d wake up soon. Hoping that I wasn’t too late...that I didn’t lose my chance to tell you how I felt.”

“S-so...rry, Kokichi…” Kiibo murmured his stilted apology, burying his nose against the shorter male’s shoulder. He felt Ouma’s purple-tipped hair brush against his cheek teasingly when the latter shook his head. _‘So soft...’_ he thought.

“No…don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault. None of this is,” Ouma sniffled. “You woke up and that’s what matters right now.” He smiled when he felt the albino nod against him--oddly enough, his own words filled him with courage. Carefully, he disentangled himself from the embrace and placed his hands on Kiibo’s shoulders. He probably looked disgusting from crying so much, but he couldn’t bring himself to care at the moment. “I know this is late, but...I love you too, Kiibo.”

Kiibo looked down, his cheeks were now dusted red and tears were starting to well in his eyes. The heavy burden he was carrying in his heart disappeared. All he can feel now was relief and pure unadulterated bliss. The moment would have lasted longer if it weren’t for the sound of hushed whispers Kiibo’s ears somehow managed to pick up.

“Do you think they’re going to kiss?”

“I don’t know, but I already have my camera out just in case they do.”

“Good job! I’m already filming, but a photo of that moment would be perfect for a photo album!”

Noticing that Kiibo’s attention was now elsewhere, Ouma followed his gaze and looked over his shoulder. His face turned beet red, mortified as he realized that they were being watched and the fact that he recognized just who their audience was.

“Ah. We got caught,” Ouma’s mother was in the middle of surreptitiously dropping her camera back inside her purse, a futile attempt of hiding the evidence. Professor Iidabashi on the other hand only chuckled as he tucked his phone inside his pocket.

“W-w-what were you two doing there?” the younger Ouma stammered, hastily wiping away any trace of his tears from his face.

“I’m sorry Koki!” his mother clapped her hands together as though in prayer and bowed. “I wanted to drop off some snacks for you two since I have a day off, and I just so happened to run into Iidabashi-san on the way to the hospital! By the time we arrived in Iidabashi-kun's room, you two were already having a moment and we didn’t have the heart to interrupt. You were just too cute!!”

Ouma buried his face in his hands, far too embarrassed to respond. _‘You still ended up interrupting it though!’_

The professor let out a hearty laugh as he ushered the woman inside the room. “Isn’t that great, Kiibo? Your feelings have been returned.”

Kiibo merely replied with a nod, unable to formulate a response in a mix of embarrassment and his subsisting difficulty in articulating words.

“Ahhh! I feel so bad for interrupting such a precious moment between you too…” the elder Ouma wailed. “If I gave you some of my homemade cream puffs, will you two be able to find it in your hearts to forgive this foolish woman?”

“S-stop already,” stammered Ouma. “It’s okay, mom. We weren’t even mad anyway. Embarrassed, but not mad, right Kiibo?”

Kiibo nodded as he scribbled a few words on his notes before flipping it for everyone to see.

‘Cream puffs sound really good right now, actually.’

“Well then, how about we all take a break and eat them together?” the woman beamed. “Thank you for carrying them for me by the way, Iidabashi-san.”

“You’re welcome,” the professor returned the smile. “Let me borrow the bed tray for a bit. I’m sure you and Ouma-kun have done plenty of studying today as well.”

“A-ah! That’s right,” Ouma hastily gathered his study materials and gave the professor some space. Kiibo placed his notes next to him to make enough room for the box of cream puffs his father was carrying.

While it was embarrassing having their respective parent catch them in the middle of their mutual confession, both of them felt relieved that they had nothing to hide from each other anymore. They didn’t have to hold back on expressing their affection either as they held hands while their parents were too busy discussing adult matters--or so they thought. Both parents decided to feign ignorance however, since they already embarrassed their sons enough in one day.

“I think it’s about time we go home, Koki. It’s getting late,” the woman turned to look at her son, who was in the middle of trying to let go Kiibo’s hand without being caught. Which he already failed, but he didn’t need to know that.

“Ah, okay. Let me just get my stuff,” Ouma started shoving his things inside his backpack, his cheeks tinged with red. “I’ll see you next weekend, Kiibo. I’ll finish doing all the corrections tonight. Thanks for today.” He bowed.

Kiibo returned the bow but hastily grabbed him by the wrist before the shorter teen could walk away.

“Kiibo?”

“I wan...want to go. W-with you…” Kiibo looked down. “The...the beach.”

There was still a week before the scheduled outing--maybe Kiibo would be able to come with them after all? Ah, but he shouldn’t get ahead of himself. Kiibo’s recovery should be his top priority.

“Me too. But you should focus on recovering first, okay?” Ouma used his free hand to ruffle the albino’s hair. “I’ll see you later.”

“Let me see you off. I’ll be keeping Kiibo company for a little longer so I won’t be going home just yet,” the professor dusted his pants as he got up from his seat. “I’ll be right back, Kiibo.”

Kiibo nodded, smiling as he saw all of them off with a wave.

 

\------------------------------------------------------

 

_Ding! Dong!_

Ouma took a step back, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he eagerly waited for someone to answer the door. It was now the 30th of April--just two days after Golden Week started. It was also the day where everyone in class decided to go on a little outing in Shirahama beach. Apparently Toujou-san had a villa nearby, that’s why they chose that beach in particular. He’s been to the beach with classmates before--but that was back in elementary school. He wasn’t able to experience this back in middle school due to his status as being the designated vulnerable and friendless punching bag for bullies, that’s why he’s both excited and nervous to be able to experience something like this again. Especially with Kiibo and his newfound friends by his side. He straightened his posture as soon as he heard the sound of the door being unlatched from the other side.

“Oh! You arrived earlier than I expected,” the professor chuckled. “Come on in. Kiibo will be ready in a few minutes.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m already here.”

Ouma craned his neck to peek inside, spotting his friend--his _boyfriend,_ he mentally corrects, supporting himself using his forearm crutches. He was wearing a plain white round-neck shirt, a baby blue hoodie to protect him from the sun’s rays, and a pair of ash gray cargo shorts. In contrast, Ouma was wearing a purple polo shirt and cream-colored shorts.

“Good morning, Kokichi,” Ouma’s face dusted red when graced by the albino’s smile.

“M-morning…” he mumbled. A week had already passed after their promised confession. Kiibo had already regained his ability to speak coherently, though he tended to fumble on difficult words from time to time. He did mention that he was doing some tongue twisters to help remedy that particular problem of his. He also mentioned that he still needed crutches to support him since still he had trouble walking unassisted.

“Now, now, we shouldn’t keep your friends waiting,” the elder Iidabashi pushed the door open wider and handed the dark haired teen a white duffle bag. “You’re going to stay there for a night, right? Here are his clothes. The smaller necessities are stored in his crutch bag. Sorry for making you do so much, Ouma-kun.”

Ouma didn’t realize that he already spent a couple of minutes just ogling the younger albino until the professor’s voice snapped him out of his stupor. “I-it’s okay! I don’t mind at all,” Ouma beamed as he accepted the bag. “Let’s go? Mom is waiting for us back in the car.”

“Good luck at work, dad,” Kiibo bowed, hobbling his way out afterwards. “I’m going now.”

“Yes, yes. Now do take care and have fun you two!” the professor called.

“We will!” the teens responded in unison, laughing as it reminded them of something that happened once before. Ouma made sure to match his pace with Kiibo’s as they made idle chatter while on their way to the pearl-colored Honda Fit that is Ouma’s family car. He helped Kiibo get in the car before moving to the trunk to safely store the latter’s duffle bag inside. He got inside the car from the door opposite to Kiibo’s shortly after.

“Aww you look so handsome today, Iidabashi-kun!”

“T-thank you.”

“Can I snap some photos of you two before we leave?”

“U-um...”

“Moooom! We’re going to be late, stop stalling.”

She huffed, “You don’t have to be so jealous. It’s not like I’m going to steal him from you.”

The younger Ouma buried his face in his hands in exasperation. “Moooooooom!!!”

“I’m just teasing!” she laughed. “Are you two buckled up nice and tight?”

“Yes,” Kiibo replied, seeing as his companion is still refusing to lift his head.

“Alright! We’re going~” the woman chimed as she pulled out of her parking space.

The trip to Shirahama beach would take at most 3 hours--probably more if traffic was busier, that’s why Ouma had to wake up early, so they could pick Kiibo up and arrive at the venue at around 10 in the morning. The ride was fairly quiet, except for the occasional conversation Ouma’s mother would start whenever they’re held up by traffic or whenever they pass by certain landmarks as they strayed farther and farther from Tokyo’s busy cityscape. Though they did make a few stops to gas up and relieve themselves, and even buy some light snacks to munch on during the rest of the ride. Ouma ended up dozing off on Kiibo’s shoulder after finishing his snack, but the albino didn’t mind, opting to hold his boyfriend’s hand instead of waking him.

“I haven’t seen him this relaxed for years now,” the woman suddenly spoke up, eyes still on the road. “...I’m so happy that he was able to become friends with someone kind like you. Thank you for loving my son, Iidabashi-kun.”

“It’s...not something I should be thanked for,” Kiibo gave Ouma’s hand a little squeeze as he replied. “Kokichi is a wonderful person all on his own. Even _I_ don’t understand how it took me a while to realize that I loved him, when he was always by my side all this time.” It was odd openly admitting his feelings to his boyfriend’s mother of all people, but there was something refreshing about it. He’s been bottling everything inside, but now he feels freer than before.

“You know what they say,” giggled the woman. “The closer you are, the less you see.”

Kiibo smiled, “I guess I can’t argue with that logic.”

“But of course!”

And with that, their conversation ended. There was nothing more to be said, after all. Kiibo felt tired, but he couldn’t help but stay awake and watch the various sceneries they zoomed past along the way. His father was a busy man, very protective too, which was why he spent most of his life homeschooled. He had to do a lot of convincing just so he could attend high school and meet people his age for once. Needless to say, he has never been to the beach before. Probably back when he was still an infant--when his mother was still alive--but that doesn’t count since he wasn’t aware of his surroundings then. This experience was all new to him. Being able to experience something new is honestly exciting.

His eyes widened as soon as he caught sight of pearly white sand and clear blue waters stretching across the horizon--they weren’t at their destination yet, but the view was still mesmerizing.

“It’s...beautiful.” He managed to whisper in awe.

“Right?” the woman laughed. “It’s been years since I last went to Shirahama beach; I used to go here with my friends back in university. I’m happy to see that it’s been properly maintained over the years.”

The car halted to a stop once they managed to secure a spot in the parking area. It was rather early, so there still weren’t much people around. “We’re here,” Ouma’s mother regarded the teens from the rearview mirror, mildly amused at the sight of their laced hands. “Mind waking him up for me?”

“A-ah, yes,” Kiibo flushed, unlacing his hands from Ouma’s and gave the sleeping teen a little shake on his shoulders. “Kokichi, we’re here.”

“Nnngh…”

Kiibo leaned closer and whispered in his ear, “Kokichi…?”

Ouma’s eyes snapped open, moving away in shock only to hit his head against the car door. “Ouch…!”

“Are you okay?” Kiibo asked, forehead creased with worry.

“I’m fine! I’m fine! I promise,” Ouma waved a hand, rubbing his head with the other. “I was just...shocked.”

“Good thing I packed a portable first aid kit in your backpack, you were always such a clumsy child,” the elder Ouma shook her head, her long ponytail swaying with her action. “Let’s take a look at your head before I leave.” She swiftly unbuckled her seatbelt and took out her son’s backpack out of the trunk, tapping her son’s side of the door and motioned him to get out of the car.

Ouma reluctantly let his mother give him a little check up, looking down in embarrassment as she began with her ministrations.

“Okay, that wasn’t so bad,” his mother smiled as she returned the first aid kit back inside the backpack. “Now try not to get into too much trouble. Mama worries.”

“I-I know already, sheesh,” Ouma huffed, cheeks tinged red out of embarrassment as he wore his backpack. “I’ll go help Kiibo out now.”

“I’ll take the rest of your things out of the trunk then,” she gave him a little pat on the shoulder before sauntering her way back to the trunk.

Kiibo already had his side of the door open, flashing the mauve-haired teen a grateful smile as he handed the latter his crutches. He carefully lifted his legs outside of the car one at a time, before gesturing for his crutches. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Ouma smiled as he handed him his crutches, freezing when he heard the telltale ‘snap’ of a camera not too far from them. Slowly he turned to look at his mother, the question remained unvoiced but the woman got the message loud and clear.

“Aww come on! You two are just so adorable. I just wanted to have photos to giggle at once I become a granny,” she huffed. “Let me have my fun, Koki!”

Ouma heaved a sigh, already used to his mother’s behavior. “...Okay, fine.” He wasn’t going to see his mother for a whole two days, she gets lonely easily compared to other parents since he was the only one she has at the moment. “Do you want to stay with us for a little longer? It’s only a matter of time before it’s noon. You’ll get hungry on the way back.”

She smiled as she kept her camera back inside her purse. “That’s okay, I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your outing.”

“Please stay for lunch,” Kiibo piped up. “Kokichi and I will worry if you leave now.”

The woman only had to take a look on both teens’ faces for her to change her mind. “...Oh, alright. I just can’t say no to your adorable faces,” she laughed. “I hope your friends won’t mind my intrusion...and speaking of your friends, how about we go meet up with them? Do you know where they are?”

“Ah! I should let Toujou-san know that we’re already here so she can tell us where her villa is,” Ouma swiftly sent a message to their group chat. “Done. Let’s go?”

After making sure the car was locked, they went on their way to the beach. Tenko bumped into them shortly after, having arrived only a couple of minutes later than they did. Apparently she rushed out of her car after catching a glimpse of them leaving the parking area, saying how she was relieved to see familiar faces as soon as she arrived. Ouma’s mother was flattered when the aspiring martial arts champion gushed about her youthful look, not expecting someone like her to be Ouma’s mother considering his usual gloomy disposition. Ouma was engaged in another conversation with Kiibo, however, so he didn’t really mind the exchange between the two ladies.

But all of their conversations ended as soon as they caught sight of the gorgeous view found beyond the parking area. Seeing the white sand and waters from up close was different from seeing it from the horizon. Not only that, the rock formations didn’t look messy or scattered, in fact, it even enhanced the beauty of the beach. They could even spot a small Shinto shrine standing atop one of the rock formations, which was accessible to the beach goers so they could take commemorative photos with it. Various food stalls lined not too close to the shore to avoid polluting the water, and there was a hotel strategically located near the beach for the convenience of weary vacationers.

“Yo.”

Their attention shifted to their vertically challenged classmate, who was wearing his favorite two-pointed hat, a royal blue shirt and black shorts.

“Hoshi-kun!” “Hoshi-san, good morning!”

“Morning. Toujou wanted me to lead you guys to the villa since she’s still in the middle of preparations,” Ryoma tucked his hands in his pockets. “It’s this way, follow me.”

A good number of their classmates were already at the villa, Kaito and Shuuichi, they later find out, were running late since they both got caught in traffic. Shuuichi was riding with him since he didn’t have his own ride. That aside, all of them expressed the same sentiments as Tenko upon meeting Ouma’s mother and were happy to have her around even if it was just for lunch. It was subtle but Ouma could tell that his mother was on the brink of tears, probably from the realization that he managed to become good friends with his entire class. And despite his earlier protests with having his mother snap photos of his classmates--especially of him and Kiibo, he was honestly glad to see his mother so happy.

“I’m going ahead now,” his mother said, giving his forehead a little kiss. “Make sure that you and your friends stay hydrated, okay? I don’t want any of you to suffer a heat stroke while I’m not around.”

“I’ll make sure to, mom, don’t worry,” Ouma let out a resigned sigh, giving her a hug. “Drive safely, okay?”

“I will,” she smiled. “Tell your friends I said thank you. I had a lovely time meeting them all.”

Ouma gave her a wave as she pulled out of the parking area, only returning to the vibrant blue and white-striped beach umbrella he helped set up once he was sure his mother was gone. The only person sitting underneath the umbrella was Kiibo, who was currently going through a word search book to help him pass the time. The mauve-haired teen took the space beside him and flopped on his back unceremoniously, instantly grabbing his boyfriend’s attention.

“Welcome back, Kokichi,” he smiled.

Ouma found himself returning the smile, “I’m back.”

Still a little tired from the trip earlier, Ouma opted to stay under the shade with the albino for just a little longer. Kiibo suggested that they play some games to pass the time while he rests, to which Ouma accepted. They went through each parlor game they knew where even two people can play. Ouma noticed how Kiibo’s lips would quirk a little in amusement whenever they ended up throwing the same hand for rock-paper-scissors, and how eager he was to play tic-tac-toe for some odd reason, but he didn’t mind as long as Kiibo was enjoying himself. They soon ran out of games to play, prompting them to stop and just observe the people playing in the water in comfortable silence. What Ouma didn't expect Kiibo to do was for him to suddenly rest his head on the shorter teen's lap as though it were the most natural thing to do in such a situation.

“K-Kiibo…?”

“...You’re not going to join the others?” Kiibo shifted a little so he could take a better look at his boyfriend.

“H-huh? N-no...” Ouma looked up to watch their other classmates playing in the water. “Because if I go, you’ll be left all alone here...”

“Kokichi...while I appreciate your consideration, you shouldn’t have to stay behind because of me. You should go have some fun with everyone before the day is over,” Kiibo sighed. “Now, will you tell me what is actually bothering you right now?”

Ouma chewed his lower lip and looked down, ashamed that he's been seen through. “It’s just...it’s been a while since I went out with my classmates like this. I was actually excited about this trip, but now that I’m here, I can’t help but feel awkward and out of place…I wasn’t even this close with everyone back in our freshman year, so I’m not sure what to do.” His eyes widened when he felt Kiibo’s surprisingly cool hand cup his cheek.

“Everything will be okay. They’re our friends after all,” Kiibo smiled. “I’m sure everyone wanted to make more happy memories together, that’s why everyone was excited to come here just like we were.”

Shy amethyst eyes met with reassuring azure ones. “...Is it really okay?”

“No.”

“Huh?! But weren’t you just--”

Kiibo’s laughter snapped Ouma out of his shock. The hand that was cupping the mauve haired teen’s cheek moved to lightly tap the latter’s nose. “You need to put some sunscreen on first, you’ll get bad sunburns if you don’t.”

Ouma’s shoulders slumped as he heaved out a sigh. “S-so that’s what you meant…”

“I can help you with your back,” Kiibo sat up, offering him another smile. “Try not to overthink just for today. Just do what you want to do and have fun, Kokichi.”

“I’ll...I’ll try to have enough fun for the both of us,” The darker haired teen’s earlier hesitation was no more. “Thanks Kiibo.”

“You’re welcome,” Kiibo chuckled, giving his boyfriend's hair an affectionate ruffle. “Now let’s go get some sunscreen on you. I have one packed in my crutch bag.”

“Okay, I got it.”

Contrary to what is usually shown in dramas or anime, there was nothing lewd or scandalous about having the person you like apply sunscreen on your back. In fact, it helped him relax and forget about his earlier fears. Once Kiibo was finished, he applied sunscreen on the rest of his body and gave the albino a small wave as he went off.  As soon as Ouma joined the others, Kaito and Angie were quick to welcome him with a big splash of water. They were loud enough for Kiibo to hear them shout out, “Welcome to the party!” in unison. Watching everyone get along with Ouma prompted the albino to smile.

 _‘He used to be awkward around the others whenever I’m not around. I’m glad that he’s starting to open up,’_ he thought, his eyes lingering on his beloved before he deciding to entertain himself with one of the many novels his father packed for him to read.

 

\--------------------------------------------------

 

Rantarou treated everyone to a soft serve ice cream for them to snack on while watching the orange sky slowly bleed to red, purple, then blue. After finishing their cold treat, they all walked back to the villa, looking forward to all the barbecue they can cook and eat. Kiibo was glad that he was allowed to help with some of the cooking, even though it was only something as simple as forming rice balls. He looked like he had a fun time teaching Kirumi and Himiko how to make a perfectly shaped rice ball. Kirumi seemed very pleased with the rice balls she made on her own.

Eating the dinner everyone helped prepare gave them a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment despite the little mishaps they encountered with the grill earlier. It was also a fun experience cracking jokes and laughing at them no matter how corny it is as they cleaned up after eating. Satisfied with the meal, it was time for a bath to wash off the scent of sweat and smoke from their bodies.

The villa had separate baths for males and females. Both were quite neat and spacious, much to everyone’s delight. The interior looked similar to the ones you see in public baths--the men’s bath had Mt. Fuji painted on the wall, while the women’s bath had cherry blossom trees decorate theirs. Surprisingly, the girls were livelier compared to their male classmates as they talked about their various experiences at the beach. The men were far more tired, what with all the preparations for dinner and running around they had to do for errands. Even the usually boisterous Kaito was quietly enjoying his bath.

After the bath, however…

“We should have a ping pong match!” Kaito grinned, back to his energetic self after a relaxing bath. “I saw a ping pong table earlier and I already asked Toujou if we could use it. She already gave me her okay so we can have a go at it no problem!”

“Sorry, Momota-kun, but Kiibo and I will have to pass on that,” Ouma bowed slightly. He had Kiibo’s arm over his shoulders to help him stand up since they left his crutches in their room so it wouldn’t get exposed to moisture. “We’re going back to our room first.”

Kaito rubbed the back of his neck, “I guess that can’t be helped. See you later then.”

“I’m sorry about this,” Kiibo bowed slightly. “But I hope you’ll have fun, regardless.”

“Don’t sweat it man. Just take your time getting better,” Kaito grinned, giving them a thumbs up. “I’m looking forward to battling Ryoma. I heard he’s a pro at ping pong too since it’s similar to tennis.”

“It may seem that way but it’s really not,” Ryoma shrugged. “But I accept your challenge.”

“Sweet!”

“How about I lend you a hand?” Rantarou walked towards the pair, with a towel draped over his shoulders. “You’ll get tired easily if you’re on your own.”

“A-ah...okay. Thanks, Amami-kun,” Ouma smiled, shifting his hold on the albino to make it easier for Rantarou to support Kiibo’s weight from the other side. Kiibo looked a little upset that he was being fussed over because of his temporary disability, which was something the taller male didn’t miss.

“It’s okay to depend on us once in a while, Iidabashi,” the chartreuse-haired teen replied, smiling as he occupied the side opposite to Ouma’s and wrapped Kiibo’s arm over his shoulders. “So don’t worry about it, alright?”

“Yeah!” Kaito called from behind. “And don’t think you can use Iidabashi as an excuse to skip out on our tournament, Rantarou! Only Ouma and Iidabashi get a pass.”

Rantarou chuckled. “Of course not. I’d never run from a challenge.”

“That’s the spirit!”

“Try not to get murdered on your way back,” Shuuichi’s remark prompted the albino to laugh a little. While his statement was a little off-putting, it was actually endearing albeit in a strange way.

“We’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Saihara-kun,” Kiibo smiled, feeling a little better.

“Let’s go?” Rantarou tilted his head questioningly, to which Ouma and Kiibo simply nodded in reply. They made idle talk while on their way back to the room they all shared along with Gonta, which was momentarily interrupted by Angie’s excited outburst of “You guys are having a ping pong tournament?!” Prompting all three boys to chuckle fondly at their classmate’s antics.

“It seems like I’m going to come back to something wild,” Rantarou laughed. “Is it too late for me to just stay with you guys in our room?”

“After saying that cool line back there? Nope--” Ouma gasped as soon as he finished his sentence, ashamed for speaking so familiarly with him. “S-sorry...I didn’t mean to--”

“No, no, you don’t have to hold back around me,” the chartreuse-haired teen shook his head a little, smiling. “You have a point. I kinda dug my own grave earlier. Besides, Momota might end up banging at the door once he notices that I never came back.”

“I can...actually see that happen,” Ouma murmured.

“Right?” Rantarou let out a carefree laugh. “We just took a bath and just the idea of getting into an intense ping pong battle with Momota is already making me feel sweaty. I have many regrets, and this is one of them.”

“Good luck, Amami-san,” Kiibo chuckled.

“Thanks guys.”

Rantarou left with a wave of his hand as soon as Kiibo was safely settled on his bed. Kiibo and Ouma spent their first few moments alone just drying each other’s hair so they wouldn’t soak the sheets. They found themselves lazing around on the albino’s bed, still feeling drained from their day despite taking a relaxing bath. Ouma was combing his messy dark locks while Kiibo was fiddling with his phone with his head resting on his boyfriend’s lap. It still felt a little strange having Kiibo be this affectionate with him, but at the same time it felt just right.

 

\-- iidabashibashi has changed his nickname to [kiiboy] --

 

“You changed your name,” Ouma remarked, leaning closely next to the albino in order to get a good look at the screen. “Kiiboy,” he read. “Huh. This doesn’t really sound like something you would come up with.”

Kiibo let out a gentle laugh, shifting in his position a little so he could take a better look at Ouma. “That’s because I wasn’t the one who came up with it.”

“Eh? Then who did? Is it someone we know?” curious amethyst stared into amused azure. “I don’t ever recall any of our friends calling you that, though…” he chewed on his bottom lip.

“It’s a yes and a no,” Kiibo started, only continuing once his phone was safely tucked inside his pocket. “Why don’t we take a little walk while I explain? My physical therapist recommended me to go on plenty of walks so I could get used to walking again. How about it?” he was already reaching for his crutches just as he offered the suggestion.

Ouma looked at his boyfriend out of curiosity before nodding. “That sounds good,” he smiled. “Let me help you with that.”

Kiibo returned the smile. “Thank you.”

 

\------------------------------------------------------

 

The beach during nighttime was fairly peaceful. Melancholic, even. And only the sounds of the ocean's lazy ebb and flow; of their feet--with the addition of Kiibo’s crutches, as they strolled along the sand; and of their own hearts beating as they walked together side by side, could be heard. Their shoulders were barely touching, but they could feel each other's warmth just from their sheer proximity. Ouma closed his eyes as the night breeze gently caressed his already unruly hair. Even with his eyes closed, he could already tell that Kiibo was doing the same thing since his pace started slowing down.

“I dreamed of you.”

“Huh?” amethyst eyes snapped open in mild surprise. To which Kiibo only replied with a serene smile before opening his eyes.

“...You looked and acted a little different...but I’m sure that it was you,” he began. “...He called himself Daikichi, though.”

Kiibo began narrating his dream as they strolled by the shore at a sedate pace, only pausing once they found a good spot to rest. It was a rock formation located not too far from Toujou’s villa. The surface wasn’t too rough, so sitting on it should be comfortable enough. Ouma helped the albino settle down on the rock’s surprisingly smooth surface before occupying the spot beside the latter. It was low enough for them to be able to soak their feet in the cool waters of the sea, but high enough to keep them dry from the incoming waves.

“It feels nice,” Kiibo sighed in content. “I’m glad that I could come here with everyone.”

“Me too,” Ouma moved to stretch his arms then his legs--letting the waves wash the sand off his feet. “Toujou-san was nice enough to let us stay in her villa. She’s already done so much for us…I feel a little bad.”

“Well...her birthday is close, right? Maybe we could repay her on that day at least,” Kiibo hummed, wiggling his toes in the water as he did so.

“Oh right! It’s on May 10th, right?”

Kiibo hummed in affirmation. “Maybe we could discuss this with the others later once we get back. Preferably while Toujou-san isn’t around.”

“Yeah...” Ouma stared at his lap, head still spinning after listening to Kiibo’s story. He did some reading on comatose patients back when Kiibo was still bedridden to pass his time when he couldn’t bring himself to focus on his homework. That’s how he came across a thread in a particular forum discussing how waking up from a coma felt like. He found out that it was common for coma patients to have vivid dreams while in a coma. But how was he supposed to react after being told that Kiibo was dreaming of another version of himself?  A version of him who was his exact polar opposite, the kind who called Kiibo all sorts of weird nicknames without a moment’s hesitation. Someone so confident, brave, and cunning…how could Kiibo think that that guy in his dream was him?

“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?” Kiibo’s gentle voice snapped him out of his thoughts. The albino wasn’t looking at him, but Ouma could tell that this was something important to him.

“N-no, it’s not that I don’t believe you,” Ouma shook his head. “It’s...just a little hard to wrap my head around it, but I definitely want to know more about your dream.” He placed his hand atop Kiibo’s. “Please tell me more.”

“...Is there something in particular that you want to know about before I continue?” Kiibo’s posture slackened--no doubt relieved that Ouma wasn’t giving him the same response as his doctor.

“No, it’s fine. Please continue where you left off,” Ouma replied, shaking his head a little. “What...happened after you remembered?” His forehead creased in worry when he felt Kiibo’s hand tense a little under his own.

“...I panicked,” Kiibo replied as he adjusted Ouma’s hold on his hand so he could entwine it with his own. “Everything I experienced and felt before the accident suddenly washed over me--I got scared. But Daikichi was serious about not allowing me to stay there any longer than necessary, so he got furious. He even shouted at me, telling me how I needed to man up and return to you--to everyone. Nothing he was saying was getting through to me, so he grabbed me by the shoulders, looked me in the eye...and you know what he said?”

Ouma gulped. “What did he say?”

“He said...”

 

_“Get your ass out of here and give Kokichi a proper confession, you coward! And limit your confession to three words without sacrificing your intended message while you’re at it!”_

 

“When he said that, it felt like everything clicked into place,” Kiibo turned to look at his companion. “That’s when I fully understood why I couldn’t stay there. And that’s because I still had something important to tell you...Something that not even the most expensive chocolate in the world could ever convey no matter how intricate one may be.”

Ouma’s eyes widened in realization. “Then that confession in the hospital…”

The albino nodded. “I...didn’t know how much danger I was in back then until I spent a few days reflecting on everything I saw in my dream.”

“How were you in danger?” the shorter teen tilted his head questioningly.

“...When I finally made my choice...Daikichi started becoming translucent. I was gradually losing sight of him and I felt like there was this powerful force trying to pull me away. Daikichi told me that that was my exit. That I was starting to lose sight of him because I’m no longer in danger,” Kiibo replied. “I...didn’t want to leave him all alone in this dark place. I was starting to hesitate, but before I completely lost sight of Daikichi...I saw _him._ ”

“Him?”

“I saw another me,” Kiibo smiled. “...He was a robot, but he was definitely me. That was how I found out that you and Daikichi were the same person. You were the one who saved me, Kokichi.”

“Kiibo…” Ouma squeezed his boyfriend’s hand, unsure how to respond.

“The person Daikichi was waiting for all this time was in fact another iteration of me,” Kiibo continued. “When I saw him, I stopped hesitating. I may not know who he is...but I know that I could trust myself to take care of Daikichi...to take care of you. That’s when I woke up, and saw you sleeping by my bedside.”

“S-so that’s how it was…” the mauve-haired teen look at his lap, his cheeks suffused with red. But still he couldn’t help but worry for him.

Judging from the way Kiibo told him everything--while he himself called it a dream, Ouma could tell that it wasn’t just a dream for him--that it was something _real_ for him. If what Kiibo is telling him was real...then that means the place Kiibo was stuck in was in fact, Limbo. The very idea that Kiibo was actually teetering between Life and Death the whole time he was in a coma frightened him.

But...if Kiibo could place his faith on a different version of himself...then surely he could do the same as well, right?

“Kiibo--”

“Huh? Iidabashi-kun and Ouma-kun? What are you two doing out here?” the couple’s attention shifted from each other to the new arrivals.

“Chabashira-san and Gokuhara-kun?” Ouma’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Weren’t you two in our room?” Gonta asked as he walked a little closer to the two.

“We were, but I was feeling restless after spending the entire day just sitting down so I wanted to take a stroll,” Kiibo replied. “Kokichi was simply accompanying me to keep me out of trouble.”

“Yeah...what are you two doing out here, though? Wasn’t there a ping-pong tournament?” Ouma shifted in his position to take a better look at his other classmates.

Gonta moved to rub the back of his neck with his left hand, “There was...Chabashira-san and I were in the middle of a punishment game since we both came out last in the tournament for the men’s and women’s division. Both of us had to go through a test of courage. Everyone’s currently stationed in the forest to scare us but um...”

“...I...I got too scared from the second station and I ended up running away and Gokuhara-kun only ran after me. That’s how we got here and saw you two, actually...” Tenko played with the hem of her mint green hoodie. “It can’t be helped! I’m only good at martial arts stuff…”

“Tenko! Tenkooooo!!! Where are you?!”

The dark brunette’s head perked up at the sound of her best friend’s voice. “Himiko? Himiko I’m over here!”

Soon the rest of their class assembled on the shore of the beach, most of them looked out of breath and some even had leaves and some broken twigs stuck on their person. Saihara on the other hand was soaked in what looks like fake blood but that’s just typical of him at this point.

It took Ouma a while to notice that he and Kiibo were still holding hands until he realized that their friends were now looking at them after witnessing the tear-jerking reunion between Tenko and Himiko.

“I had a feeling that you two have been hiding something from us,” Maki huffed.

“W-what?”

“It’s okay Ouma-kun. I think everyone already knows that you and Iidabashi-kun were dating all this time. That’s why you were really upset during the accident, right?” Kaede smiled. “I want you to know that we don’t mind it at all! You two truly deserve each other.” Unbeknownst to her, Miu was muffling her laughter in the background. She knows. She definitely knows what’s up. She was the one giving Kiibo relationship advice in the first place.

“I-if you don’t mind me asking...” Tsumugi took a few steps forward, fixing her glasses before continuing. “H-how did you two realize that you loved each other? And when?!”

Kiibo and Ouma’s faces were now beet red as soon as they processed their classmate’s words. Boy do they have a lot of explaining to do.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Ouma-kun…?”

Kokichi froze in his place.

“O-Ouma-kun is that you…?”

No longer able to ignore the voice of the person he's been yearning for for centuries, Kokichi turned around ever so slowly. “...Kiiboy.”

Cyan lenses glowed in recognition. “I-it’s really you! But...but how…?”

Kokichi launched himself in the robot’s arms instead of answering his question. “Kiibo shut up. I was waiting for you for ages! How long does it take to scrap a robot!?”

“How rude! I’ll have you know that my remains were lovingly collected and repaired to restore my memory!” Kiibo huffed, unconsciously returning the shorter male’s hug. “I was able to be of help with Saihara-kun and the others.”

“...I know. I was always watching. You did a really good job,” Kokichi’s body trembled as tears streamed down his cheeks. “You ended the Killing Game for me, just like you promised.”

Kiibo’s frown eased at the sight. He tightened his hold on the supreme leader, rubbing soothing circles on his back. “You did your best too. That’s why I was able to do what I did. You helped me save them, Ouma-kun.”

“S-stupid robot…! Saihara-chan, Yumeno-chan, and Harukawa-chan already passed by here before you did. You’ve kept me waiting for so long,” Kokichi gave him a half-hearted glare. “Sometimes I wonder if someone like you is even worth waiting for.”

“I’m sorry...I didn’t have much choice in the matter. I was still needed even after Saihara-kun already died a natural death,” Kiibo heaved a sigh, his ahoge slumping apologetically.

“Nishishi...that was a lie. I’m not mad at you,” Kokichi grinned, moving a few steps back. “Hey, Kiibo?”

“Yes?”

The mauve-haired supreme leader pulled the robot into a kiss without warning, rendering the latter into a complete blushing mess.

“O-Ouma-kun…?!”

“You can ask me later,” Ouma licked his lips once they parted, he looked far too satisfied for someone who was crying a few moments ago.. “But for now...let’s go. This place is soooo boring you have no idea.”

Kiibo eyed the hand Ouma linked with his--he had so many questions running through his mind. But he couldn’t help but smile when he caught the supreme leader blushing as he squeezed the albino’s hand. “Okay. Let’s go, Ouma-kun.”

Bright amethyst eyes stared into equally happy cyan lenses. With one last laugh, Ouma shouted. “Finally, we’re free!”

 

The room was finally empty.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sobbing* You guys have no idea how fricking happy I am that this story is finally complete! ;_;) I'm crying as I type the end notes. As always, I hope you enjoyed this story, and thank you for following the ???-verse!
> 
> Edit: Now that I finally got some sleep, lemme add some photos of Shirahama beach for your convenience.
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> I spent some time searching for nearby beaches in Tokyo and also the travel time to get there xD It really is a gorgeous beach.

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't supposed to upload this early but DAMN the tags are so quiet and I am worried.


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